Assimilation
by Yoda1976
Summary: Star Wars/Star Trek Crossover: The Borg arrive in the Empire via a wormhole.
1. First Contact

The Borg cube flew through space, its unnatural shape an abomination to nature, the beings inhabiting it even more so. The cube paused in space as if considering what direction to head in, and indeed it was, the great collective will that drove it had something catch its interest. This wasn't the curiosity that drives organic beings, nor individuals. It really wasn't curiosity in the strictest sense, merely a choice to be made.

_ Anomaly detected, begin scanning with tertiary sensor nodes. _The Great Collective thought, as the data poured into the impossible complex mass mind of the cube the priority of the object steadily increased until it was of primary importance to the Collective. _Anomaly identified, anomaly is transwarp conduit, attempting to use, the Collective must grow. _The cube approached the mouth of the dormant wormhole, and then engaged its warp engines, entering the wormhole at a significant speed. Unfortunately for the cube it wasn't a transwarp conduit, but a stable wormhole, the attempt to use the wormhole as a conduit stretched it out an impossible distance, leaving the galaxy the cube belonged to another galaxy, many, many thousands of light years away. The cube's transit was nearly instantaneous, time having no meaning in the dimensions it traversed. Its sensors were temporarily blinded by the transition.

_ Priority, navigational correction, sensors required. Damage to sensors is superficial, regenerate. Tertiary sensor clusters now online, matching star patterns with navigational records. Error, star patterns do not match navigational records, communicating with Collective for updates. Error, Collective is not responding, attempting to access transwarp conduit. Error, transwarp conduit is no longer present. Priority, return to primary mission objectives, mission objective: locate targets for assimilation; once target identified complete assimilation of identified targets, the Collective must grow._

The cube began moving through the galaxy unknown to it, seeking information about its location, seeking that information the best way the Collective knew how, by assimilating those who had what it sought. The Collective was amoral in the strictest sense of the word, for moral concerns never entered into its thinking. Only the need to grow drove it. The fact that every intelligent species that they encountered considered the Borg to be the biggest criminals in all of known space was immaterial to the Collective. The Collective never considering these concerns though didn't change the fact that the Collective was nothing but a very efficient, methodical gang of thieves, stealing not only knowledge and material, but the very will of their victims, placing them into involuntary servitude with no hope for escape or reprieve. Now that implacable force was unleashed onto a completely unsuspecting galaxy. One that, unlike the home galaxy of the Borg, had the means to ensure the Borg's complete domination of it, provided that galaxy was unfortunate enough for the necessary information to find its way to the Borg.

_ Primary sensor cluster regenerated. Priority alert, artificial object detection, object masses .0000002 percent of standard rocky world; atmosphere not detected; energy readings, unable to determine, though high; sensors detect unassimilated beings inside artificial object, determination, object is a star ship of unknown design; objective sample object to determine suitability for assimilation._

The cube now approached the large sphere its newly repaired sensors detected. The object looked like a planet, with large cities strewn over its surface in a distinct grid. Along the sphere's equator was a trench that completely encompassed the sphere's diameter. On the sphere's northern hemisphere, a large crater was the dominant feature, yet this was no natural crater, nor was this a natural world, it was as artificial as the cube that now sought to sample it.

The cube locked its tractor beam onto the nearest portion of the sphere, there was modest shielding protecting the sphere, but that was easily shunted aside with precision by the cube. Once the tractor was locked on a cutting phaser began slicing through the skin of the behemoth. Once the cutting phaser finished its exacting circle, the slice it had made came up and was taken in by the cube.

_ Sample secured, sample included unassimilated organics. Attempting assimilation. Assimilation of organics complete, cataloging species. Species is a variant of species 5618. Technology assimilation, type, construction material, catalog, technology A-15678. _So it went for the better part of a minute, which for the Collective is being meticulous. Then something occurred that didn't really surprise the Collective of the cube, for surprise was borne of emotions, something that the Collective did not ascribe to, but it had seen this before; the sphere began attacking the Cube. At first the numerous green bolts coming up from the sphere's surface seemed to do severe damage to the cube, but the cube had taken such damage, and worse before. The cube analyzed the weapons and determined the best counter to them, adjusted the cube's defenses accordingly.

_ Adaptation complete, begin regeneration cycle. _If the Borg have a weakness, it would be their seeming inability to do multiple tasks at once. This is a false notion, for every Borg cube is fully capable of taking on multiple tasks at the same time, theirs is, after all, a strength of numbers. No, the impression that the cube is unable to do anything while it regenerates damage is simple expediency. It is more efficient fully repaired, and it is more efficient to repair all damage at the same time.

_ Regeneration complete, the Collective must grow. Initiate communications with assimilation target. Objective, preparation of unassimilated organics for the New Order. Communication established, calibrating universal translation matrix. Preferred communication method, auditory. Communication begins. We are the Borg, lower your shields and prepare for assimilation. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. You will service us, you will become us. You're lives as you have known them are over. Resistance is futile. _There was a response, but the Collective shunted the responsibility of handling it to a sub-routine. Any response the organics had for the Borg was, after all, irrelevant. The Collective committed itself to planning the assimilation of the sphere, it would be a daunting task to a purely organic intelligence, but to the Collective, it was merely a large task, and the fact that it would take more time than the collective was accustomed to did not even occur to the Collective. It did not take long for the Collective to decide that the sphere would be best assimilated as though it were a planet, which would entail taking over the sphere rather than consuming it as they would a smaller ship.

_ Scan target, searching for appropriate node site. Site identified, designate site Sector 001. Drones needed—50, designate group Node 001 assimilation matrix. Primary sensor alert, power build up detected centered at center of sphere's concave structure, sphere is turning concave structure toward us. Probability that energy build up is a weapon, 98.765 percent, chance of cube surviving energy discharge of this apparent magnitude, .00345 percent. Estimated time to energy discharge, unable to calculate, time to concave structure lining up with cube, 1 minute, 37 seconds. Initiate cube abandonment, all drones will be beamed to Sector 001 of sphere. Estimate of successful abandonment of cube before structure is lined up, 37.48% of cube complement, priority change for transported drones, assimilate all organics in immediate proximity of Sector 001 of sphere._

* * *

Vader strode onto the command bridge of the Death Star, his respirator announcing his foreboding presence. He was annoyed that Tarkin had summoned him while he was in the middle of Princess Leia's interrogation. It was a waste of the drugs used on her when he couldn't be there to question her at their maximum effectiveness, and he knew that a second round of the drugs would be less effective than the first. It was yet one more reason to hate his current position; he was the Emperor's apprentice, yet he had to answer to this odious gorrt of a man. Vader had known Hutts less smug than Tarkin was. He thought it was a danger to put the man in charge of the most powerful weapon ever constructed, but no one questioned the Emperor's orders, not if they wished to live, or in Vader's case, live with as little pain as possible, he knew the Emperor would never let him die, no matter how much he might wish it on some days, not unless there was someone who would make a suitable apprentice to take his place. Vader knew that he was both the Emperor's greatest accomplishment and biggest defeat.

"Lord Vader, good of you to join us," Tarkin said, his voice irritating, his too-long face twisted into a smile that looked as natural on it as a Hutt in any kind of clothes.

"I was interrogating the Princess. I trust this is important Governor, my time is valuable," Vader said, keeping his tone civil, barely.

"Oh I think it is, my friend. We've detected a ship."

"What class of ship?" Vader asked, his patience with the annoying little man stretched to the breaking point.

"Unknown," Tarkin said, turning back to the viewscreen that currently was showing only empty space.

"What do you mean, unknown?" Vader asked, his curiosity piqued just a little.

"How many definitions of the word are there, Vader?" Tarkin asked, sounding smug in his current superiority over Vader.

"I tire of these games, Tarkin. You may have the Emperor's favor currently, but none can attest as well as I just how fleeting that favor is," Vader said, unable to keep his temper in check.

"Is that a threat, Lord Vader?" Tarkin said.

"Not yet. Now stop wasting my time," Vader said, the deep baritone of his voice enhancing the implied threat.

"Very well. Put it on the display," Tarkin ordered.

On the large viewscreen appeared a dark shape; it took Vader's optics a moment to resolve it. It was a perfect cube, or at least as perfect as Vader could tell, his mind racked itself to identify the species that build such a craft, but he could not come up with one.

"What species is it?" he asked.

"Thus far that is unknown to us, whoever they are they haven't tried to hail us," Tarkin said.

"You should destroy them," Vader said, feeling a dread creep over him unlike anything he ever felt before the longer he stared at the cube. Who ever they were, they were dangerous.

"Destroy them? Vader, this could be a huge opportunity for the Empire. I doubt the Emperor would concur. They are obviously a highly advanced species and I bet they have technology that we haven't imagined yet," Tarkin said, it was obvious to Vader that the man was seeing this as a golden opportunity, an opportunity to enhance his own position in the eyes of the Emperor.

"I sense they are dangerous," Vader said, evoking an odd stare from Tarkin.

"You might still put stock into that ancient belief, Vader, but all it does is prove how deluded you truly are," Tarkin said.

"Believe what you will, but that ship is a threat, a serious threat," Vader said, the closer it got to the Death Star the surer he was that it represented the greatest threat the Galaxy had ever faced. At that moment a green beam was emitted from the cube.

"What is that?" Tarkin asked.

"Some kind of tractor beam, it's overall power is weaker than ours, but it is much more precise," an officer reported.

"Why would they attach a tractor beam to us? Surely they don't mean to attempt to tow us someplace," Tarkin said. The answer though became apparent quickly enough as a thin laser beam began cutting into the hull of the Death Star. "What are they doing that for?" Tarkin asked.

"They are sampling us. I told you they were dangerous. We should report this to the Emperor," Vader said.

"Leave? When we've been attacked? Commander show this…interloper the error of his ways," Tarkin ordered, and looked on with satisfaction as the turbo laser batteries in that section open fire on the cube, doing severe damage to it. Only is large size seemed to save it from outright destruction. Vader estimated that it was about sixty times the volume of what _Executor _would be once she was complete. Holes the size of frigates opened up in the hull of the cube and Vader felt an odd sensation of relief."See Lord Vader, no one can stand up to the might of this battle station."

Yet no sooner than the words were out of his mouth the effectiveness of the bombardment began to lessen, then, in seconds, it was having no effect at all, then to the astonishment of everyone on the command bridge, Vader included, the cube began…healing. The damage done by the barrage was visibly disappearing, and not so much as a scorch mark was left. Even the largest holes literately filled in. In about the same time it took the turbolasers to inflict the damage to the cube, it looked no different than it did before the bombardment. Even Tarkin looked shocked.

"Very well, if that is how you want to play this, commander bring the primary weapon to bear on that cube," Tarkin said.

"I think retreat would be a wiser course of action, Governor. We need more information on who or what we are dealing with," Vader said.

"You overestimate the danger Vader, I never thought you would harbor cowardly attitudes," Tarkin said.

"Do not mistake caution for cowardice," Vader said, bristling at the insult.

"Caution is not required here, Vader. Nothing can match the firepower of this battle station," Tarkin said.

"Cube will be in range in thirty seconds," the fire control officer reported.

"Very well, fire when ready," Tarkin ordered. The time ticked down, slowly. It was nearly the longest thirty seconds of Vader's life, then the sick green beam of the stations superlaser lanced out, it enveloped the cube and for a split second Vader thought that it would repel even this attack, but then the moment was gone along with the cube, none of the debris was large enough to see on the display.

"You see Lord Vader, nothing can resist this battle station," Tarkin said.

"I am going to continue what you interrupted, Governor," Vader said.

"Yes, we do still need the location of the Rebel base, you may go, Vader," Tarkin said, while Vader hid his anger at being dismissed by this hopped-up bureaucrat, and left the command bridge.

Vader was still uneasy about the encounter with the cube that, with the exception of the _Death Star,_ was the largest ship he'd ever encountered. He walked through another set of corridors on his long walk back to the prison cells. It didn't entirely surprise him when a being stepped out into the corridor in front of him. The being was very pale, its visible eye stared, seemingly lifeless in its socket, its other eye was covered by some kind of prosthesis, its body was encased in a material that was unknown to Vader, its right arm was still flesh, while its left was completely covered by a large attachment, with several appendages on it. It seemed to be studying the computer terminal in front of it. He approached it and it ignored him.

Overcome by a curiosity the likes of which he hadn't experienced in years, he reached out and brushed his mind against that of the being in front of him. What he found was shocking. The majority of the consciousness he detected was wrapped up in something that self-identified as 'the Collective', it was a powerful mind, more powerful than any he had ever encountered, worse there was a small part that was weakly trying to get out, assert itself. The suffering the being was going through tore through the Dark Lord, touching something that he thought had been long dead in him, compassion. The small mind wasn't fighting that hard at the moment, but Vader sensed that it was conserving its strength, as it didn't find the current task it was engaged in overly objectionable. Vader studied the thing through the Force, looking for a way to free the cruelly imprisoned mind, to get some information out of it, at least that's what he told himself. The problem, he quickly determined, was that much of the mind was tied up in the electronics that were implanted in various ways, many of them superseding the natural functions of the being's body.

Now that he had an idea of what to expect, he began to quickly catalog the modifications that had been made to this likely unwilling Borg, and he found several implants that would kill or cause severe harm to the being. He disabled them. There was one implant that seemed to be a sort of communicator, but he had never seen the design. The Force implied that it was the source of the Collective's power over the individual mind. He disabled that as well, and the drone slumped, and then screamed, it was short lived as the being took back control over its body.

"It would be best if you were quiet," Vader said.

"Sorry about that, delayed reaction…about 15 years delayed," the being said, its voice was scratchy and raw sounding, "We need to evacuate this Star Base; if we can, we need to eject the warp core to minimize the power that is available to the Collective, and then see if we can reroute ships away from here."

"None of those things are practical."

"Why not? At least we can route ships away, can't we?"

"Ships coming to this battle station are probably the least of our worries."

"Do you not have access to the engineering levels?"

"The reactor core is not ejectable, though I like the idea."

"Not…we really need to evacuate this station then."

"That is not only impractical, it is impossible."

"Why?"

"Because, there are over a million individual beings on this station and it took the better part of two standard years to station them here," Vader said.

"Do you have escape pods for all of them?" the being asked.

"Yes, but the authorization to use them will not be forth coming."

"Why?" the being started sounding desperate.

"Because the man in charge of this station is an odious toad that's as full of himself as a Hutt. His own arrogance will not allow for the idea that I really do know what I am speaking of, and that I have information that he doesn't have. He will not listen to reason because he believes in the inherent superiority of his new toy."

Disbelief crossed the man's face. "Which is?"

"You are standing in it."

"This is your _Titanic,_ then. Perhaps if I spoke with him, he would be reasonable."

"That is not possible."

"Which?"

"For Tarkin to be reasonable. I will take you to him if you like."

"I have to at least try, you folks don't know what you are dealing with or how dangerous they are,"

"I assume you are a Borg?" Vader said as they headed back toward the command bridge.

"They gave you the standard spiel then," the being said, then continued, "I was a drone, until you rescued me, thank you by the way."

"You are welcome, however I did not rescue you out of pure altruism, we need information about these Borg since they seem to be aboard," Vader said.

"I thought you said the commander of this station was a puffed up toad that wouldn't listen to reason," the being said.

"Indeed I did, however his isn't the highest authority to which I can appeal," Vader said.

"Good, it would be nice to talk to someone that will listen to reason," the being said, and Vader hid his amusement; it was obvious the creature wasn't familiar with the Emperor. Vader fully expected his Master to take the threat seriously, but he wouldn't necessarily act in such a manner as the former Borg would like.

They both entered the command bridge.

"Vader, back so soon?" Tarkin said.

"We have a problem Governor," Vader responded.

"What kind of problem," Tarkin said as he turned around, "What is that…thing with you Lord Vader?"

"This is a former member of the species that attacked the Death Star, they have boarded the station somehow," Vader said.

"And why is he here and not in a detention cell being questioned?" Tarkin said.

"Because, Governor, I was a member of the Collective, but thanks to Lord Vader I am not now and I wanted to tell you that this station needs to be destroyed before it is too late."

"You brought this…half droid to make threats, Vader?" Tarkin said, a vein on his left temple started to twitch, which under normal conditions would've pleased Vader, however these were not normal conditions.

"He is not making threats, Tarkin. He is expressing his concern for the threat these Borg represent, he is sincere, I have felt it," Vader said.

"Lord Vader, I have tolerated your quiet insolence for a long time now, but this is beyond the pale, now take this…thing to a detention cell, immediately," Tarkin said.

"You can't, you have to understand, they will take over this station and then any ship that docks here will be taken over, then they'll be mobile and they'll move to planets, and once they have a planet, they will be unstoppable!" the being cried out.

Tarkin finally addressed the being," You have never seen the Imperial military in action. We destroyed your ship, I'm sure we'll deal with your boarders,"

"Your forces have already lost, several of them have already been assimilated, and your weapons haven't been effective for twenty minutes! Destroy this station while you still can!"

"Vader, get this abomination out of my sight! Commander, set your course for Alderaan. Since Lord Vader seems unable or unwilling to get the location of the Rebel base out of the Princess through conventional means," Tarkin said.

"Yes, sir, setting course…" the Commander said, then after a moment, "Sir, there seems to be a problem, the systems aren't responding, I can't even set a course, much less activate the engines."

"Shit…we're too late. You have to get as many people off of here as you can, Governor! Before its too late!"

"I think you overestimate your people's chances," Tarkin said, and began ignoring the being.

"Come," Vader said quietly, "I told you he would not listen to reason." Vader led the distraught being away. Once they were off the command bridge, the being spoke again.

"Where are we going?" it asked.

"That depends on how you answer my next question. What will happen now that they are seizing control of the station?"

"They'll start systematically assimilating all of the personnel, from what I understand this station is too large for the number of drones they beamed aboard for them to be able to control, so they removed your ability to control it until they were ready to seize control," the being said.

"Why are our weapons ineffective against them?" Vader asked as they walked.

"Because, they'll adapt," the being said as if that explained everything, they then came across several Borg that had storm troopers firing at them. The troopers weapons were quite ineffective, bouncing off of some kind of energy shield that Vader had never seen before, the Borg for their part, simply walked forward, ignoring the weapons fire.

"Why are they ignoring the weapons fire?" Vader asked.

"It is irrelevant to them," the being said. Then the Borg continued to the troopers. "Oh no, you have to stop them!"

"Why?"

"They are going to assimilate those two solders!" the being said.

"No, I want to see what happens," Vader said.

"You don't understand the pain they will go through, you have to stop them, please!"

"I understand better than you think, sacrifices must be made so we can learn and prepare a proper defense," Vader said.

"You're a monster," the being said.

"Yes, I am. Yet that isn't the reason I'm doing this, this is war, and in war sacrifices must be made, we need information, I am collecting it,"

"But I can tell you everything you need to know!"

"True, but it is not the same as witnessing it for yourself," Vader said, and felt…odd throwing out something Obi-Wan had told him once, several lifetimes ago. The drones reached the storm troopers, and lifted their arm, the ones that looked mostly organic and to Vader's surprise two tubes flicked out from each arm going into the neck of each trooper. It wasn't a long contact and the two storm troopers stiffened.

"At least kill them, please, you'll be doing them a favor!" the being pleaded.

"What is happening?" Vader asked.

"They are being assimilated, the tubes you saw inject nanoprobes into the blood stream, the nanoprobes start the process of building the first implants, the ones that connect the new drone to the Collective. Then they'll be taken to an assimilation chamber where other components will be added, depending on what the drones final principle function is, now please, kill them? Or save them like you did me?"

"I will have to kill them, it will take too much time to deactivate the components," Vader said and ignited his lightsaber, it didn't take him long to dispatch the four, he didn't waste any movement, just sticking the blood red blade through two at time, it was easy as they ignored his approach.

"Come, there is someone we need to retrieve," Vader said.

"Who?" the being asked.

"I will explain when we are safely away," Vader replied.

The two hurried Vader slightly leading and headed to the detention area, they soon arrived.

"Lord Vader, have you returned to continue the interrogation?" the watch officer asked.

"No, the Princess is being transferred to Imperial Center, the Emperor wishes to interrogate her personally," Vader said, and the watch officer was visibly disturbed.

"Yes, Lord Vader," the officer said, Vader and the being went directly to the Princesses' cell, and Vader opened the door.

"The old interrogation droid break, Vader?" The princess said.

"Your wit is less than amusing, Your Highness, now come with me if you want to live."


	2. Rememberance and Introductions

Obi-Wan smiled as Luke parried the stun bolts from the target drone Captain Solo had let them borrow. He was as talented as his Father, and just as good-natured as Anakin had been as a boy. He sighed.

"What's wrong, Ben?" Luke asked shutting down his father's lightsaber.

"Nothing, Luke, just remembering and missing your father," he replied.

"You were really close with him, weren't you?" Luke asked.

"He was as close to a brother as I have ever had. He got me in plenty of trouble too, and he always got me out of it. I miss him, greatly," he said.

Luke nodded, "I can't imagine how hard the Purges were for you."

"It was a very sad time, a sad time indeed," Obi-Wan said.

"What about my mother? Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru talk about her less than they talk about Father," Luke asked.

Obi-Wan sighed, of course the boy would ask about his mother. How to tell this story and not break down and confess the whole truth? The boy just wasn't ready for that; no child should know their father is a monster.

"Your mother was very beautiful and Anakin loved her from the day they first met, of this I'm sure, not that he ever confided it to me," Obi-Wan said.

"Why wouldn't he?" Luke asked puzzled.

"For the same reason I never took a wife, under the old order attachment was forbidden. For Anakin to take a wife, that was a serious breach of the Code at the time. He knew it, she knew it, but their love would not be denied," Obi-Wan said.

"So he broke the rules to be with her?" Luke asked.

At this R2-D2 twittered.

"What do you mean you were there?" C-3PO said.

"Huh?"

"This rusty bucket of bolts claims to have been at your parents' wedding, Master Luke."

Artoo twittered again.

"What! I most certainly was not, you little lying glob of grease, surely I would remember the marriage of a Senator and a Jedi Padawan!" Threepio said, indignant.

Artoo twittered again, adding in a few beeps.

"A memory wipe!" Threepio said.

"He might have a point Threepio," Luke said.

"So you're taking his side?"

Obi-Wan chuckled at the exchange, "I thought you two looked familiar, I should have realized she wouldn't trust this to just any two droids."

"You remember these two?" Luke said.

"Now I do, it has been eighteen years since I've seen them and they aren't rare models," Obi-Wan said.

"Everyone is against me! I have not had a memory wipe!" Threepio lamented.

Artoo twittered and beeped again.

"What do you mean I talk too much!?" Threepio asked, indignant again.

"Well, Threepio, we never mentioned that my mother was a Senator, so you might have a back-up memory module that was missed. We might be able to restore your memories."

A wave of horror washed over Obi-Wan, but then, beeping came from the console that Han was sitting at.

"I hate to end this trip down memory lane, but it looks like we're coming up on Alderaan," he said.

"Thank you, Captain," Obi-Wan said, meaning for more than letting them know they were at their destination, thankful that the Captain had unwittingly bought Obi-Wan some time to think about how to handle this. He never dreamed that the droids would retain so much. It seems like father, like daughter on the proper maintenance of droids. There were probably still old battle plans from the Clone Wars inside Artoo. He shook his head, _Oh Anakin, even now you are making my life difficult, _he thought.

"Shall we go up to the cockpit, Ben?" Luke asked.

"Yes, we should," Obi-Wan replied.

* * *

Vader led his newfound charges to the hanger bay, a task made more difficult by the Princess's constant sniping.

"So, where are you taking me? And just where is your task-master?" the Princess said.

"Your Highness, I'm sure you have plenty to complain about, but this situation is really serious, and he's trying to deal with it," the being said trying to keep her quiet, for which Vader would've been grateful, but it wasn't working.

"Listen…who…whatever you are, you don't know the first thing about me or him so kindly keep out of this."

"Look, once we get to the ship we'll do the introductions, now if you don't mind, shut your trap," the being said, Vader suppressed a chuckle, it was obvious that whoever the being had been in its previous life, it had little use for fools, and while he would not ordinarily put Princess Leia Organa in that category, she had had a very bad day and it was showing in her current foolish behavior.

"You can't talk to me like that!"

"Seems like I just did! Now I understand you're having a bad day, but…"

"Quiet, both of you, we need to board the shuttle, Your Highness, try to remember that you are still a prisoner," Vader said.

"How can I forget?" she shot back.

They managed to get aboard his shuttle without further incident; Vader took his place at the controls, for even at this point in his life, he preferred to fly himself. He did the preflight checks with quick efficiency and they were lifting off within ten minutes. He turned the ship toward where the _Devastator_ was in her parking orbit; it would take them twenty minutes to arrive, and he set the autopilot and turned to the being and the Princess.

"Now, creature, tell us where you came from, what you are and what is happening to the _Death Star_," Vader ordered.

"Well, first off, I'm not a creature, I'm a human being, thank you very much," the being said.

"Could have fooled me, I thought you were Vader's long lost little brother," the Princess quipped.

"You are so lucky I don't hit girls, your royal bitchiness," the being said.

"What is your name?" Vader said, cutting off the Princess's sure-to-be scathing retort. While he was finding the Princess meeting her match in insult throwing quite amusing, they did have limited time and needed to stay on task.

"Mario Latan, Lieutenant Mario Latan, Starfleet, serial number 56-86548-Quebec, Sierra, Charlie, Alpha-889, last assignment, _USS Saratoga _registry number, November, Charlie, Charlie-31911, ship's status, destroyed. I now ask formally if I am to be considered a prisoner of war?" Latan said, his whole demeanor changing, he was now sounding very professional, like a switch. It was clear to Vader that this man was a solider.

"I do not consider you a prisoner of war, your official status is as of yet to be determined," Vader replied.

"Very well, but I reserve to withhold any information that might be used against the United Federation of Planets and or her allies. With this one condition: I will freely share with you everything I know about the Borg," Latan said, relaxing a little.

"Where did the cube originate?" Vader asked.

"Cube, what cube? And what is the United Federation of Planets?" the Princess interrupted.

"If you would be quiet, Your Highness, you will have your answers," Vader said, his voice low, fully indicating that he would not tolerate further interruption, to her credit, she did not respond.

"Ok…the cube came from my home galaxy, which we call the Milky Way. The cube encountered a wormhole while on patrol in the Delta quadrant. Normally the Collective ignores such phenomena as they are notoriously unstable and tend to shred things that fall in them, but this one was different. I was not a drone directly involved in processing the data, so I don't know much about what the scans found, but the Collective decided to attempt to use it as a transwarp conduit, I guess it looked like one to it. That is the short story of how the cube came here, then we encountered the _Death Star_ I believe you called it, the rest you know," Latan said.

"And how did you end up as you are?" Vader asked.

"That is a bit longer of a tale. It basically starts, as best as I know, since this was classified six ways from Sunday and even then they wanted you to swear on your grandmother's grave that you wouldn't talk about it once you saw the information. Anyway, about a year before the Battle of Wolf 359 the _Enterprise, _the 'aid' of a Q, encountered a Borg cube in the delta quadrant. They got their asses handed to them in that encounter," Latan started.

"This _Enterprise _was destroyed?" Vader asked.

"No, Q popped them back home before that could happen, but not before making Captain Picard beg," Latan said.

"Q is an odd name what is he?" Leia asked, and Vader permitted the question, as he was curious himself.

"Q is a non-caporal life-form that has extraordinary, dare I say supernatural powers, and he is given to practical jokes, from what I understand. I personally have never had the displeasure. Just to put this into perspective, if _Enterprise _had to get home under their own power, it would've taken them nearly seventy years to get home," Latan said.

"That is too much power for anyone being to have. Is he a tyrant in your galaxy?" Leia asked.

"No, he's just one individual of a race of beings like him, in fact the reason he had visited the Enterprise was because his own people were punishing him for misbehaving, at least I think that's what the report said. It was a while ago and we were on the eve of battle when I read it, looking for something, anything that might help us."

"So, your ship, it was destroyed, by the Borg?"

"Yes, the _Saratoga_ along with 38 of the other 39 ships that were assigned to try to stop the Borg's advancement on Earth, was destroyed."

"Did you stop the advance?" the Princess asked.

"Yes, somehow, and it's tied up in Locutus, and only the Queen dealt with him directly, so far as I know."

"The Queen?" she asked. Vader knew he should be taking control of the conversation, but, somehow, it wasn't in him to make her stop when she was asking just the questions that he would. He worked very hard not to think that her mind worked the way that his did.

"The Borg are a hive, just like you would find in a colony of insects, but able to impose their consciousness on other beings. Insect colonies have Queens, and so does the Borg."

Vader was sure this was simplified, but he knew that he probably didn't have the capacity to understand everything that becoming Borg would entail. "Who is this Locutus of whom you speak?"

"He was Captain Picard of the Enterprise, the Borg assimilated him to facilitate communication with Earth during the assimilation process."

"How did you survive? If the cube that assimilated you was destroyed," Vader asked.

"I got caught up in a very old subroutine, one dating to the earliest days of the Collective, basically when a cube starts assimilating a civilization, it dispatches a small scout craft to observe the assimilation and report back to the rest of the Collective, I was one of the drones assigned to this, when the cube was destroyed, the scout ship left, not having the ability to continue the assimilation of Earth. Eventually I was placed on the cube that your station destroyed," Latan said.

"It seems you have survived the destruction of many vessels, Lieutenant," Vader said.

"Yeah, lucky me," he said with a sigh, and even Vader could hear the sarcasm in his voice.

Without further comment Vader turned back to the controls, finding they were still about ten minutes out from _Devastator_. Then with no warning, the Death Star's turbo lasers began firing. Vader began evasive maneuvers, but then realized it was foolish to try as the weapons were firing completely randomly. He settled back onto direct course for _Devastator_. As the great ship came into the shuttle's view screen, Vader saw her get hit by no less than eighteen turbolaser blasts, with her shields down. The green bolts ripped through the Star Destroyer, breaking her back, it wasn't long before her hyperdrive went, taking the lifeless hulk into oblivion. Then the _Death Star _vanished into hyperspace.

"We seem to have a problem," Vader told his two companions, "What will be their principle objective?"

"With the _Death Star _under their control, they'll seek out a world to assimilate," Latan said.

"What will they be looking for in a world to assimilate?"

"At this point, a large population will be their driving parameter for assimilating a world."

"That leaves only one possibility…"Vader said.

"Coruscant…" Leia breathed.

"Yes, Imperial Center makes sense as their next target," Vader said, and was slightly amused at the Princess irritated expression at the planet's official name.

"Can we get there in time?"

"No the _Death Star _may be slow, but this shuttle is slower still, we'd get there maybe a day after they do. Our best course of action is to get to a holo-transmitter to send warning to the Emperor before the _Death Star _arrives," Vader said.

"Why can't you call them from here?" Latan asked.

"This shuttle doesn't have the power to send a transmission that far, however, the Princess' home world isn't far from here, and they have the equipment I require. Don't get your hopes up, Your Highness, I intend to arrest your father upon our arrival on Alderaan," Vader said, then turned and after setting the shuttle's course sent them into hyperspace.

* * *

_Weapons test complete, native navigation charts do not match navigation records, conclusion: we are not in Galaxy 001. Designate galaxy as Galaxy 765. Navigational control achieved, sphere's propulsion now online. Objectives: populate sphere, assimilate worlds of this galaxy. Heading to largest population world. Assimilation of Imperial Center has priority._

The Collective was rapidly assimilating the immediate area around its original beam-in point. It had adapted to the organics' weapons quickly and the numbers of drones at its disposal was rapidly growing.

_Utilizing sphere's faster-than-light drive. Arrivals at destination in 4 days, 7 hours and 22 minutes, download and analyze all information about target world. Population, 1.5 trillion, population includes many species, many forms of technology. Prepare maturation chambers, extract genetic material from new drones, begin growth cycle. Accessing stored data…Queen genetic profile found, activate maturation alcove. Begin Queen growth. The collective must grow. Less then 10% of station area under the Collective's control, approximately 1 % of population assimilated. Sphere's primary weapon next priority: consideration of alteration possibilities. Weapon is currently wasteful. _

As the Death Star flew through hyperspace the Collective attempted to study it, but its control over the massive station's sensors was not very good, primarily to a lack of drones to handle the task.

_Organics assimilated in the last hour: 150, designated assimilation groups, goal: 300 organics assimilated in the next hour. The Collective must grow. Successful implantation of Queen. Earth Days until Queen is mature: 6500. Technology data found. Assessing information…World of Kamino…technology: rapid maturation methods…cloning… assimilation of Imperial Center: first priority, assimilation of Kamino next priority…the Collective must grow._

* * *

"Reports of sightings are spreading from the initial point of contact, thus far our weapons have been quite useless," the comm officer reported.

"Damn, is there any progress in getting us out of hyperspace, or at least determining where we are going?" Tarkin demanded.

"None so far…new report sector 3, northern hemisphere, decks 34 and 35. Stormtroopers reporting alien beings installing equipment, they are now firing at them…no effect, the beings are approaching…we've lost contact with the troopers sir," the officer said.

"At the rate they are spreading, how long until they get here?" Tarkin asked.

"If the rate of expansion doesn't increase, they will arrive to this bridge in four days, if the spread is exponential, a day and a half, maybe less." the officer replied.

"Where is Lord Vader? His place is here, planning the defense of the station," Tarkin said, realizing that the foreboding Sith Lord hadn't been seen in hours.

"I don't know, sir," the officer said.

"Find out," Tarkin said.

"Sir! We got into the navicomputer," another officer called out.

"Finally some good news, where are we going?"

"Imperial Center."

"Shavit…we need control of this station before we arrive, gentlemen, or so help me every last one of you will hang!"

"Sir, Hanger Bay Five reports that Lord Vader's shuttle is no longer on board."

Cold dread settled into Tarkin's gut as the realization that Lord Vader might have been correct in being cautious with the cube, but he pushed it down. Nothing would deny him the place of greatness, especially not some half-droid abominations, no matter how resilient they proved to be.

"Do we have communications?" Tarkin asked.

"Not yet," came the reply from one of the nameless faces.

"Get on it, we might be able to give them a few hours warning at least," Tarkin said. Then his thoughts turned to Vader, _Oh, my friend, if you only knew what I plan to do with your desertion._


	3. Revelations

**AN: Thanks to everyone that has reveiwed so far. Here is Chapter Three!**

Mario was frustrated. That was the only word for what he was feeling. He was who knew how many millions of light years from home; he still had all of the implants, and from what he had gathered, the government of this galaxy was a dictatorship, and a tyrannical one at that. He missed his family, his wife, his kids. Part of him hoped that Lauren was still waiting on him; the other part just wished she were happy. He had probably been presumed dead anyway, if not due to the battle itself, due to the fact that the cube had been destroyed. He wondered if little Alli had finally got the nerve to talk to…what was his name? Dear God, Allison would be a grown woman now, she'd be 23 now, probably on her way to the Academy if Grandma Marie had anything to say about it. No, strike that, she'd be an ensign now, on her first real assignment, and that made him wonder what ship she was on. Isaac, he'd be just getting out of high school. Did he play football like his old man? What position did he play? These thoughts among others made him want to cry, but he couldn't, the implants wouldn't let him. Then there was Vader, he was an enigma, but one that he could put into a particular box inside his head. He could understand that something had happened, somewhere in the past that made him into an uncaring, perhaps even evil, monolithic figure with a good deal of power. It kind of reminded him of Hitler. If you really got into the psychology of the man, you could perhaps understand where he had come from, why he'd done what he had done. The problem with cathartic stories was that sometimes what happened in someone's own personal hell broke them.

He watched in wonder at the Princess's ability to push Vader just to the point—indeed over the point—that Mario would've thought he would kill her, but he never did more than warn her. To her credit, she hadn't pushed that same button again. It was getting to the point of being borderline amazing that Vader hadn't even laid a hand on her. He decided, to keep his mind off of his now-grown kids, he wanted to know more about Vader. He walked the two steps up the shuttle's very short hallway to the cockpit, and sat down in the copilot's seat. "So," he started.

"Is there something in particular you require?"

"No, I just thought we could talk. I haven't talked to anyone in so long, and I'm a bit rusty, I'm afraid, so if you can bear with me, I thought I could practice a bit on you."

Vader turned to look at him, and he endeavored not to be uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the being's mask. He wasn't sure exactly what species Vader was, and Vader certainly hadn't been forthcoming about his origins. "So, what are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I am, like you, an altered Human."

"Ah, good. I was hoping you were Human. It makes relating to you a bit easier."

"You could go practice on the Princess," Vader pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but she's what, 19? Barely past being wet behind the ears. I was still at the academy when I was 19," he sighed, for that had also been the year he'd married his wife, his high school sweetheart. "You married, have kids?"

"That subject in not open for discussion. Do not test my wrath on this."

"Oh, touchy. Must have been bad then. Did she leave you and take the kids with, move to another planet, maybe?"

"I told you that the subject was closed."

"Look, so you're big and scary. I get that, but both of us know that I am more valuable to you alive than dead, and at this moment almost irreplaceable. You won't kill me."

Vader said nothing for a while. "I have nothing to say on the matter."

"That's horse hockey and you know it. You obviously have some issues there, and as far as I've ever known, talking about it helps."

Vader greeted this revelation with his usual stoic silence, and even turned back to the controls of the shuttle. "Sith do not discuss their feelings."

"Eh, well, if you say so. I have a few things I want to talk about, after all I've been through. I don't want to burden the Princess; she's still just a kid. She's about Isaac's age, maybe a little older. Sometimes she reminds me of Alli, my oldest. She would be 23 now. I missed so much, being taken by the Borg. Alli was almost eight; Isaac was two. The last message that I got from Lauren was her talking about maybe being pregnant again. I never found out for sure. The baby would be in high school now, close to grown, fourteen, almost fifteen. Wish to God I knew for sure. If I could get back, I would just want everyone to be happy, you know? I wouldn't care if Lauren married someone else, to help with the kids, or maybe it would have been better if she moved in with Mayme, my father's mother. She practically raised me, you know. Dad died in the war with Cardassia, I was eight. Alli might be more like her old man than she thinks."

He paused intentionally, letting the words take him into a wistful state as he waited for Vader to say something. "You seem to have a tendency to ramble. You do not need to worry about you conversation skills, they seem to be intact," Vader said.

"There you are wrong, my fashion challenged friend, that was a monologue, a conversation is a two way street. So, what happened to your wife?" Mario pressed, not really caring if Vader decided to kill him at that moment. Chances were slim to none that he'd ever get back to see his wife and kids, who, in all likelihood, thought him dead.

"I killed her," Vader said.

"Ok…there HAS to be more than, 'I killed her,'" Mario said, imitating Vader's voice with the last three words.

"It suffices," Vader said.

"No, it doesn't, why did you kill her, and don't say because she made you angry, that's a given. What happened? She cheat on you? Forget your birthday? Didn't put…urk!" Mario said.

"You will not discuss her in such crude terms, is that clear…creature?" Vader's tone was very, very dangerous.

"Ok…" Mario squeaked out; he wasn't being deprived of oxygen, but the pressure on his throat made talking difficult nonetheless.

"Good," Vader said, and released him. He rubbed his throat. Vader hadn't even touched him, and yet, had he not been Borg, he would have been in very real danger of dying.

_Nothing ventured, nothing gained_. "If it wasn't anything crude, what was it?"

It took a long time for Vader to answer, but Mario had learned a lot about patience in the last fifteen years. "I was on a mission to destroy the leadership of the CIS, those who had instigated the Clone Wars, that I had, at that point fought in for three, nearly four years. My wife followed me, and my Master at the time. I thought she had brought him there, to kill me. I realize now that she had no knowledge of him sneaking aboard her ship. I killed her for bringing him there. I was not in my right mind."

"Master? What kind of Master are you talking about? Were you a slave?"

Vader visibly bristled, a feat considering the suit he was trussed up in. "Yes, but this Master…I was his apprentice."

"Oh, gotcha. So, why would he want to kill you?"

"As I said I was not in my right mind. I had already done things that were abhorrent to him. He would have had reason to kill me. I should have let him. I had already killed the two things that were most precious to me."

"And what were those things?"

"My wife and my unborn daughter."

He let out a long slow whistle, pleased with himself that he could still do it without having practiced in so long. "That's serious. So, why didn't he kill you?"

Vader paused in mid-motion. "I don't know."

"So, like, you haven't talked to him since?"

"That is correct."

"Ah, man, I bet he'd talk to you if you asked, I mean, how long were you guys Master and Apprentice?"

"Thirteen years."

"And how long ago did you have this fight?"

"Nineteen years ago."

"He knows you were crazy, right?"

"He knows that I am Sith."

"So, is Sith a special version of crazy, like schizo?"

"I do not know of this 'schizo' but he might believe that I was out of my mind."

"Schizophrenic," he expounded upon the term, "It's crazy plus hallucinations. Hear voices in your head, think that the galaxy is out to get you."

"I do not believe that I am schizophrenic."

"I wasn't saying you were; I was just giving an example of a particular flavor of crazy. Mental disorders are pretty much non-existent where I'm from, but I like to watch old movies, and sometimes they talk about them. It was all the rage to be crazy in the 20th century."

"What is a movie?"

"A video, a series of moving pictures that tells a story. They are fiction mostly, but there are some good documentaries that I watch about WWI and WWII."

"Like a HoloDrama?"

He shrugged. "Never seen one. Can't judge very well, but probably."

Vader was silent for a time. "You speak of the twentieth century. When was this?"

"Well, as I reckon it, it's the year 2381, old Earth calendar. It's almost time for Passover."

"What is this Passover?"

"Well, a really long time ago, there were these people called the Israelites, my people, both by blood and faith. They were held in bondage in the land of Egypt. Forced to work on Pharoah's great works as labor," Mario began.

"They were slaves?" Vader asked, and Mario picked up on the slight emphasis on the last word.

"Yes, but God, actting through Moses and the forces of nature, freed them. It's a long story, ten plagues…there's more if you really want to hear it. Passover is a celebration of the tenth and final plague, the one that convinced the Pharoah to let our people go," he said, and grinned, amused by the refernce to Charlton Heston. "It was never the religious stuff that got to me, but I loved the holidays. I would go home, and see Mayme, and if I was on an assignment where I couldn't bring the wife and kids, like on the _Saratoga, _them as well."

Vader ignored his comments about his family. That was, apparently, not something that he wanted to think about. Mario let him redirect the conversation, knowing that he would have ample opportunity to bring it up again, at least so long as Vader didn't throw him out of the cockpit. "I do not think I want to hear more about your holiday at this time, but perhaps if we have some time later. So this time when he freed your people from Egypt is why you worship your God?"

"Pretty much, there's rules involved, of course, starting with the Ten Commandments."

"And you obey these rules?"

"Sure. All 613, as much as I can."

"Six hundred and thirteen?"

"Yeah. A number of them are about diet, so those are easier to deal with, and most of them are just basic stuff, like don't kill each other. We could be a hard-headed lot."

"I see. This God of yours cares about how you eat?"

"Oh, I suppose. It's actually been proven that eating according to Kosher Law is very healthy. Of course, we didn't have science when we were given the Law, but it was enough that we were told that this was the way that He wanted things, and we did it. There was no question at that time as to whether or not to obey Him."

"How far back can you trace your people's history?"

"Oh, I don't know, 6000 BCE, I think. Back in the Stone age, practically."

"Stone age?"

"Yeah, when we used stone tools. Bronze Age, maybe."

"Are you saying you have a history that you can trace back unbroken to before your people began space flight?"

Mario sighed, and said, "We've only been doing that for a few hundred years. Zefram Cochrane conducted the first successful warp flight in 2063, only 102 years after the first manned spaceflight, and we made contact with the Vulcans shortly after that, and then started having contact with other species."

"Vulcans?"

"Pointy ears, green blood…" Mario decided that there were probably no Vulcans in this galaxy, "Oh, never mind. It's another species in the Milky Way."

"I see."

"So, what about you?" Mario asked. "You were a slave at some point, what happened with that? It obviously still bothers you."

"I was born a slave."

"How'd you get freed?" Mario asked, listening intently as Vader related the tale of how Qui-Gon Jinn took him from Tatooine.

"What's a Jedi?" Mario asked after the story.

"The enemies of the Sith; they are no more," Vader said.

"How do you know?"

"I helped destroy them," Vader said, his voice low.

"You don't sound too proud of that," Mario said taking another chance.

"It is what it is. I feel neither pride nor shame over the act…it was necessary," Vader said, his voice softening with the last words.

"No shame huh? And my grandmother eats pork."

"What is pork?" Vader asked, avoiding the real subject.

"A type of meat that's not Kosher," he answered, then paused again. "These Jedi, this Qui-Gon, he helped you out, so you were friends with at least one of them."

"That is immaterial."

"I beg to differ. I think it's quite…material."

"I tire of your incessant questions. Leave before I physically remove you."

Mario knew that he had truly reached the limit of Vader's tolerance, and so he left, as Vader requested.

* * *

Leia was growing impatient and almost furious at having been left alone by the former Human; he was at least good company when he felt like talking. He'd grown more melancholy over the time that they had been cooped up in this shuttle with Vader, but he seemed like the respectable type, and yet, he was talking to Vader. Why would anyone talk to that monster, especially as though he was a human being? Leia was surprised and a bit relieved when Latan came back to the rear of the shuttle.

"He finally throw you out?" she asked dryly.

"Yes, I was getting under his skin I think," Latan said, with a mischievous grin that looked absolutely ridiculous on him, with all of his…bits and pieces.

"What skin? He's a monster, why do you insist on treating him like a human being?" she asked, her frustration breaking through.

"He is a kindred spirit, we've both been through a lot. Granted most of his pain is self-inflicted, but that doesn't mean that he isn't in need of healing," Latan said.

"He doesn't deserve it!"

"Everyone deserves a chance to be happy, no matter what wrong he's done. And besides," he said, turning serious, "Don't you think the universe would be better if he wasn't hurting?"

Her shock at the thought was probably evident on her face, but she recovered quickly enough. "You think he does what he does because he hurts?"

"Ah, Princess, you have so much to learn," he said with a shake of his head. "Yes, I believe that his own inner pain is the force that drives him to impose pain on others."

"I am an Imperial Senator thank you very much."

He smiled. "That doesn't matter, some things you have to learn by experience alone."

She glared at him and changed the topic. "So, why exactly do you think he's a kindred spirit?"

"Well, we have both lost many things in our life. Takes a bit of doing to get him talking, but I think it was worth it," he told her. "What do you know about the Jedi?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"He mentioned them."

She sighed. This being was frustrating in the extreme. "The Jedi were the keepers of the peace in the Old Republic, their Order was wiped out almost twenty years ago in the Purges."

"And how were these Purges conducted?" he asked, and she would have sworn that the man paled, and considering his pasty complexion, that was no mean feat.

"Darth Vader led the 501st into the Jedi temple and slaughtered all of the Jedi that were at the Temple, even the younglings. At the same time the Emperor ordered the soldiers the remaining Jedi were commanding to kill them. The Emperor said that they were traitors to the Republic."

"And the soldiers believed him? Why?"

"They had no choice, they were bred to take orders from the Supreme Chancellor," Leia said.

"Bred? Dear God, this place _is_ Hitler's ultimate wet dream," Latan said.

"Excuse me?" Leia said, not recognizing the reference.

"He's a dictator that came to power on my species' homeworld in the twentieth century, old Earth calendar. There was a huge war to end him and his Reich. My people suffered greatly in that war, my own great-great-great-great-grandfather was in Auschwitz. Hitler and the Nazi's killed nearly six million Jews, not including the deaths caused by the actually fighting, and another five million people in concentration camps besides."

"And you're a Jew?" Leia asked.

"By blood and faith, and my grandmother's switches," he said with a grin.

"Anyway, the Empire came into existence after that, and things only got worse, especially for non-humans, many of them are being held as slaves," she said.

"Slaves, huh?" Latan asked, looking thoughtful.

"Yes, what are you thinking about?"

"Just wondering what tall, dark, and brooding in the cockpit thinks about the Empire allowing slavery to take place."

"Why should he care? I've told you before, he's a monster."

"Because, he was a slave himself, as a boy."

"I have a hard time thinking of Darth Vader as a child."

"Nevertheless, I was one," Vader said, coming to the back. "I am going to rest now, the controls are locked, so you can't bring us out of hyperspace to send a warning to your father, Your Highness. I suggest both of you also rest," he said, and disappeared into a cabin that seemed to have been modified to accommodate his special requirements. The short view that she got of the interior was nearly all matte black, unlike the rest of the ship, which was standard grey.

"Ok…who gets the bed?" Leia asked, as she turned to the other cabin and its one small bunk.

"You do, I don't need sleep, not like this, anyway. I won't need to regenerate for another seven or eight days, depending on my overall activity level."

"What do you intend to do while we sleep?" she asked.

"I'm going to do some reading, the Collective downloaded all of the Death Star's files, and I hold copies of them. Sleep well," Latan said, leaving a dumbstruck Leia to ponder the meaning of that information.

* * *

Bail was not in his best dress, it was the middle of the night, and he'd received a message that there was someone of high priority he she should meet. He was on pins and needles when the _Falcon _landed in Aldera, Alderaan's capital city. Bail had decided to meet whoever it was personally, upon getting word of their arrival on the secret communications channel that he and the Jedi agreed to during the rise of the Empire. He looked eagerly as the decrepit Corellian freighter touched down. The ramp lowered as the ships engines finished their cool down cycle. Down the ramp came a young man, and he was struck by how familiar he looked. _That must be young Luke; he looks a lot like his father, almost as much as Leia looks like her mother, _the Viceroy thought. Next came General Kenobi, _Has he aged that much in only twenty years? Tatooine must be a harsh world indeed._ He started approaching, looking for Leia, he knew the Empire had seized the _Tantive IV_, but he was hoping…no, she wasn't on the ship. She'd have been the first one off if she was, he knew that much. He sighed, trying to get control of his emotions.

"Welcome to Alderaan, General, Luke. I only wish your visit to our lovely world was under happier circumstances," Bail said, his voice wavering only slightly.

"I am sorry about Leia, Viceroy. If there is anything I can do, please let me know," Obi-Wan told Bail.

"Thank you, my friend. Leia knew the risks, her mother would've been proud of her, I'd like to think."

"I wish we knew where she was so we could rescue her," Luke said.

"Rescue who, kid?" Han asked.

"The Viceroy's daughter, she's the one in the message."

"And that reminds me, Viceroy…" Obi-Wan began.

"Please, call me Bail," he said.

"As you wish…Bail, we had to hire the services of Captain Solo to get here, and our agreement was ten thousand on our safe arrival, I truly hate to impose, but I had thought that you would cover our expense," Obi-Wan said.

"Think nothing of it," Bail told him, and then spoke up so that all could hear, "Captain…Solo, is it?"

"Yup, but you can call me Han, this is my first mate, Chewbacca," Han said, indicating the Wookiee who was just now disembarking.

"Very well, Han. Would you mind staying the night? I'd like to put your services on retainer as the Empire has seized my ship. It will not take long to draw the paperwork up for you, but staying will allow you to judge truly whether this is something you would like to do, perhaps," Bail said.

"I don't understand, sir. You surely can replace your ship," Han said.

"True, I could buy a hundred ships, however the crew aboard her is a bit harder to replace," Bail said. Chewbacca growled something softly to Han.

"Yeah, I think your right Chewie. Alright Viceroy, as you said, it's late, we can discuss the details in the morning, however you should be aware that we do owe some money to Jabba the Hutt and we need to get him paid before we get too distracted," Han said.

"I think we can make the necessary arrangements. Come, let us rest and in the morning we can make our plans. I trust the plans are in the R2 unit," Bail said.

"They are; your daughter is a most resourceful young woman," Obi-Wan said.

"And headstrong, a trait she gets from her birth father, no doubt."

"Too true, though her mother wasn't exactly a wilting flower."

"True, and which does Luke take after? I see his father in him, physically."

"You knew my father, Viceroy?" Luke asked.

"Yes I did, though not as well as your mother," Bail said.

"You served together in the Senate, didn't you?"

"Yes we did, and your sister serves…served there as well,"

"Sister? But…you mean, she's my sister?" Luke asked, bewildered.

* * *

_One hundred percent control of sphere now achieved; begin assimilation of all organics as primary objective until the arrival at target world, the Collective must grow. Complete assimilation will occur prior to arrival: 80.37% chance. _With that command, an initial force of two thousand drones were simultaneously beamed to the perimeter of control the Collective had set up, just inside the force fields keeping the organics out of those critical areas. They were trying to get in, and the drones quickly added them to the Collective.

* * *

TK-8472 and his squad mates had been blasting at the force field before them for the better part of the day, and nothing was penetrating it. Truth be told, he was starting to get bored, firing an E-WEB repeating blaster usually ranked in the top five of Teek's favorite activities, but after ten hours of doing it and getting no results for the effort, was getting to him. He'd gone through five barrels already and had poured countless joules of energy into the field.

"It's not coming down, sergeant," he complained to the section sergeant, TA-38S, Taf for short.

"I know, but we aren't the ones paying the power bill, keep firing," Taf said. Then something different happened, several of the invading droids, aliens, Teek couldn't decide which they were, appeared just behind the shield. That in itself was disconcerting, but then they walked through the barrier like it wasn't even there. His squad mates started firing at the beings themselves, but their blaster bolts bounced off force fields that appeared to be shielding them as individuals and the semi-droids continued their approach, totally ignoring the heavy fire coming from the Stormtroopers. This was bad, and what happened next was worse. The first invader reached the nearest of the Stormtroopers, and at first seemed that he was about to engage in hand to hand with the Stormtroopers, but then these tubes cam out of the invader's fist, they connected with the neck of the hapless Stormtrooper, the trooper immediately went into convulsions, then vanished.

"They are injecting our people with something that disintegrates them," Teek said, fighting to keep panic out of his voice.

"We have to keep them from getting to the rest of the station," Taf said, "Doesn't matter what happens to us, you know that."

"Yes, Sarge," Teek said by way of agreement, and kept firing until the emotionless being got to him and he vanished.


	4. Conversations Through the Force

**AN: For those of you that were questioning Vader opening up to my OC, allow me to explain my take on Vader's psychology. Everything he does** **is to cause himself some measure of pain, because he thinks he deserves it. He feels very guilty, that guilt he has never been able to purge. It holds him back from his true potential as a Sith, just like it holds him back from his true potential as a Jedi. His self hate fuels his power in the dark side, but because of it he will never take the final step and kill Palpatine. His attempts at dark side healing, a form of self torture, his social isolation, again a form of self torture. Talking about the past to Mario is just another of this self destructive behavior, he's never had the opportunity to even consider talking about this, much less had someone persistant enough to bring it out. As any new pain he shyed away from it at first, then embraced it as part of his never ending pennance. I hope this explains things a little bit better.**

Vader was tired from the day's activities. It had been a long day. He'd woken on the Death Star—early from the nightmare he'd had—Imperial Center, all the people in chains. He didn't understand the imagery, it had the feel of the dreams he'd had about his mother and Padmé. But it was off, how could over a trillion beings be put into chains? He doubted the Emperor was involved—yes, the Empire was tyrannical, but he'd never had a dream like this in nearly twenty years of Imperial rule. He didn't understand, not until Latan explained about the Borg. Looking back, it was prophetic.

Now he knew the cold reality, and it wasn't pretty. It was another in a long line of dreams that had come true for him. Frustration at his own inability to effect changes when he knew something needed to be done welled inside him, and he felt that it was a good start to his night's meditation. Rage, anger, hate all built quickly from the initial emotion, and he drove them inside himself, and he concentrated, building them into more, driving that rage into his damaged lungs. Maybe this would be enough to achieve permanent healing. Slowly, he felt needles pricking his lungs as the damaged tissue knitted back to a functioning state, harder he pushed using the pain. Finally…finally…he was nearly there! He took his first breath, pain free, he allowed himself a moment of triumph, then as if it was a child's soap bubble, the healing he had accomplished came undone, rapidly. He would've screamed if he had had the breath. The pain was overwhelming, he passed out from it.

In his unconscious state he dreamed again…it was dark, and he heard a voice, young, strong.

"You've failed your highness," the voice said, followed by a soft but audible clank, "I am a Jedi. Like my Father before me." The voice was familiar, he knew it in the dream, but he'd never heard it before in his life.

"So be it, Jedi!" a new voice said, this one all too familiar, his Master's voice. He heard the telltale sound of Force lightning, followed by a scream. Vader vision cleared, and a strange scene came into view. There in front of him he saw the Emperor throwing strike after strike of dark energy into a baby, not even a day old.

"Father! Help me! Father, please!" the child was screaming, but the voice was that of no newborn, but of a grown man. His son's voice. Padmé's son's voice. He had to save him, for Padmé's sake, not his own. This was Padmé's son, and he deserved to live for that lone fact.

"And now, young Skywalker, you will die," Palpatine was saying and struck again…

He woke, sweat pouring off of him.

Obi-Wan retired to the room that Viceroy Organa had so kindly provided. He sat down in the middle of the floor and began to meditate. As he cleared his thoughts a not-unexpected presence filled his mind.

_Obi-Wan, I see you have started his son on the path of the Jedi, _a familiar voice said.

_Yes, Master, I have. What do you know of his sister? Is she safe? _Obi-Wan responded with a little trepidation.

_Yes, and you will see her soon, Obi-Wan. Her father is bringing her to Alderaan._ Qui-Gon said matter–of-factly.

_Vader is coming here?_ Obi-Wan asked in shock.

_Yes._

_I have to get Luke away then, he's not ready to face him. _Obi-Wan said, concerned.

_No, that would be unwise I think. There is a new threat, one bigger than the Sith. You will need the Chosen One to fight it._

_He ceased being the Chosen One on Mustafar, Qui-Gon._

_Such bitterness doesn't become you, Obi-Wan._

_I'm sorry, Master, but it isn't easy. He was my brother._

_He was deceived, like we all were. He is in such pain Obi-Wan, he needs help. He needs his family._

_I know, but he won't accept it._

_Not yet, but that may be changing. This new threat has changed the flow of events, Anakin will return to us. Only Sidious himself would be able to stop it, and he will be too occupied to do much about it._

_What of his wounds, can they be truly healed?_

_That I cannot answer. Ah…it seems young Luke has gone and done something rather rash._

_What?_

_He is reaching out for Leia, trying to locate her so he and Captain Solo can effect a rescue._

_But Vader is with her…I better go stop him._

Vader was not sure what to think. He reassembled himself, and went out into the ship, taking the short trip into the cockpit, where Latan had settled himself for the night. He was somewhat afraid that the man would attempt to talk to him again, but he didn't, only staring blankly ahead. He realized after a full minute of watching that the man wasn't breathing. His heart was still beating, albeit sluggishly, but Vader still felt the need to shake him…awake.

"Oh, sorry, lost in thoughts," Latan said after a deep breath.

"Do you not normally breathe?"

"Oh, my prosthetics take care of all of that for me. Of course, I have to breathe to be able to talk, but if I forget, it's not really a big deal."

Vader sat down in the pilot's seat, pressing a rapid sequence of numbers to unlock the controls, fully half of it with the Force. "Where is the Princess?"

"Sleeping, I guess. Haven't seen the kid in a few hours. For that matter, why are you awake so early?"

The true reason was because he'd had a nightmare, this one was so realistic, he felt that it had to be true. "I don't sleep much."

"Fancy that. Guilty conscience?"

"Hardly. I haven't slept much since I was old enough to walk."

"I bet your reasons now are different than they were then."

"Yes, the reasons of a young boy are different from those of a grown man. If you insist on knowing, the discussion we had yesterday stirred up my imagination, and I had a nightmare."

"So what was this nightmare of yours like? I haven't slept in fifteen years, so I do rather forget how the whole thing works."

"It was similar to other dreams I had before my wife died. I do not think this an appropriate subject for discussion."

"So, what is an appropriate subject for discussion?"

"Why don't you tell me about how your mechanics work?"

Latan nodded. "The Borg's technology works on a cellular level. When we inject someone, and we try for the carotid artery, the nanoprobes begin to attach to cells along the route, as well as to each of the blood cells. That's why I'm so pale. Well, that and I haven't seen sunlight in fifteen years."

"What happens when to these cells when they have the nanoprobes attached?"

"Some of them are used to replicate the nanoprobes, and some of them just continue to function as normal. The rest begin to build the additional organic technologies that are required to function as a Borg," Latan said.

"How long does this take to happen?" Vader asked.

"Not very long, a day at the most. It isn't a pleasant process, you are still you while it happens, it is very painful, as metal pierces the skin and makes all of this, but that's not the worst of it. The worst is the voices, speaking as one, slowly bending your will to theirs, but its never 100%, there is always a small part of you that is fighting, trying to reassert control, but its like having an elephant on you. You fight to get out from under the tremendous weight, to be free again, but no matter what you do, no matter how hard you struggle you can't. You can't move, you can scream, you can't even cry," Latan said, his voice getting soft on the last three words.

Vader sat in silence for a few moments. The experience of assimilation sounded disturbingly like how he felt when he gave himself over to the Way of the Sith, and in many ways the way he felt now, yet, however much Latan's pain might resemble his own, there was one critical difference, Latan's prison hadn't been one of his own making. Vader's was.

"Leave me, I have much to think about," Vader said. His tone broking no argument.

"Sure, but you owe me, the Princess isn't nearly as entertaining as you are," Latan said.

Vader fought and subdued the urge to destroy him for the second…or was it third time since meeting him. Vader had lost count. He wouldn't admit it to himself, but the principle reason he found Latan so irritating was the simple fact that Anakin Skywalker would've liked him. A lot. Worse, Vader felt those emotional stirrings, and forced them down as one might bile rising in one's throat. He was glad that Latan had left without much argument, this time. The former drone was having an adverse affect on the Sith Lord, this much, Vader knew for sure.

* * *

Leia woke in a cold sweat. Her memories had always been a source of comfort, especially the one memory she had of her real mother. But dreaming of it made it more real, and for that, it was more disturbing. There was a moment of light, where everything was painfully blinding, but it was soon over and her eyes were working enough to see the sad, sad face of her mother. Her mother said her name. This was a new aspect to this memory that she hadn't considered. Was it true, or simply her imagination?

She heard a male voice talking, then her mother's voice, and the male voice again. She was so tired in her dream, like she'd been running a marathon, or something equally stressful. It was hard to hear, and she couldn't quite hold onto the words. "Obi-Wan," she heard her mother say, but what came after was lost, as she fell asleep. There was some commotion, which woke her, and she was jostled around a bit. She realized that she was being picked up when her father's face came into view. She heard the strange male voice again, "She is gone from this world, Bail, but never from our hearts." Obi-Wan, it has to be Obi-Wan.

"Padmé was always a dear friend. I hope she forgives the necessity of what we are doing."

"I think she understood. She loved him in the end, still." There was a thought of protest at being wet, but it was not her thought, for she was safely dry in her father's arms. "Sorry, young Luke. Tears for your father, may the Force protect us."

"We must be off," Bail said, "May the Force be with you," he said, and Obi-Wan replied in kind, and he carried her away. Away from something she hadn't realized she needed until it was gone, because it had always been there. She screamed as she lost the connection with whoever or whatever had created the hole in her heart that day.

She had woken at that point. Her mind was reeling at the thoughts her dream had provoked. Who was Luke? Why did his presence, or in this case, absence, upset her so much? There had to have been a lot more going on politically if Obi-Wan, a General and Knight of the Republic was at her birth. What had he been doing there? Was he a friend of her mother's? Or was he a friend to an even more mysterious figure, her father? Her father had told her nothing of her birth father, though she had never asked. He had said very little on the subject of her birth mother, either, other than the fact that he'd watched her die.

She decided that trying to figure it out was only going to be frustrating. She got up, and exited the cabin. "You ok?" Latan asked her from the table. She nodded, and went over to the meager provisions that the shuttle had been allotted, and rummaged through them until she found something that she could eat for breakfast. "Don't tell me you had a nightmare, too."

"I don't think it would particularly qualify as a nightmare if you are simply reliving a memory."

"Looks like it had to be a particularly bad one, if you're in this bad of a temper over it."

She shook her head. "I need to ask my father about someone, that's all."

"This someone have a name?"

"Three someones, and yes, they all have names."

"Care to tell me?"

"No, it's really none of your business, and it is tied up in Alderaanian politics."

"That's where we're going, isn't it?"

"She shook her head. "I need to ask my father about someone, that's all."

"Yes," she said, not knowing where he was going with his questioning.

"Well, I should know what kind of minefield we're walking into, shouldn't I?"

"You said it was political before."

"It's a personal question, from a daughter to her father, about something that is a state secret of Alderaan. Leave it be."

He grinned. "You're better at this than he is."

"I didn't know it was a contest." She said, and turned and entered her cabin. She sat down to eat and thought about her dream. Could those images really be her earliest memories? The rational part of her mind wanted to deny it out of hand. It shouldn't be possible, humans never remembered anything that happened before the age of two standard years, she couldn't imagine herself being excluded from this most basic fact. Yet, as sure as she was that it was impossible, she was just as sure that they WERE her earliest memories, and that they were of her mother, and of General Kenobi. She had known that General Kenobi had been a friend of her father's for a very long time. She'd known since she was old enough to understand about such things that he'd been present at her birth, but that he was most definitely not her biological father.

_Leia… _a strange voice sounded in her head, she KNEW she wasn't hearing it with her ears, but she WAS hearing with something.

_Leia…Can you hear me?_ There it was again, her imagination had to be running away with her.

_Leia, can you hear me? Please respond if you can hear me. I'm not sure if I'm even doing this right. _The voice continued, it sounded both hopeful, yet unsure. While the voice was unfamiliar the presence surrounding it was most definitely familiar. It was the same presence as she felt in her dream. There were differences to it, but it was more like the engravings on a pillar, the differences were more finishing touches on how it felt, it was still very much the same presence. It plugged right into the missing piece of her soul that the dream had revealed, and tears sprang to her eyes unbidden at the relief of having that hole filled.

"I can hear you, who are you? Why are you in my head?" she whispered, not sure how to respond to the voice.

_I can hear you, but barely. Stretch out with your feelings and I should be able to actually pick up what you are saying. _The voice said, it was colored with triumph.

"Can you hear me now?" she asked, not sure what he meant by stretching out with her feelings.

_It's not great, but I can understand what you are saying now. _The voice said.

"Ok, who are you? What are you? How did you get inside my head?" Leia asked.

_My name is Luke Skywalker, I'm your twin brother._

"I have a twin brother, living inside my head?" she asked.

_No, I'm on Alderaan. I'm with Ben Kenobi. We brought your droids safely here, like you said to. I've contacted you to find out where you are being held so we might be able to rescue you. _Luke's voice said. She was overwhelmed, she had a brother, a twin brother, who was alive and well…and on Alderaan.

"I'm on a shuttle heading to Alderaan, I hope I'll be able to explain everything when I get there it is a long story," She said, then the voice of her nightmares sounded in her cabin.

_You're on your way here? How'd you escape? This is wonderful! _Luke felt so happy she hated to have to tell him the truth, but he needed to hear it.

"I didn't escape, Darth Vader is with me, along with a…well he claims he's human but he doesn't look like any human I've ever seen," she said.

_Oh…Obi-Wan just came in, I need to go, I'll see you soon, in the meantime we'll think of a way to deal with Vader. Don't reveal your relation to me. He killed our father and probably our mother, if he finds out you're a Skywalker he might kill you too. _She frowned as the presence left her mind, there was a darkness around the thoughts of Vader.

"It is easier not to vocalize what you are communicating when using telepathy. The boy has impressed me, reaching you in hyperspace, I didn't realize such a thing was even possible. So, Obi-Wan is on Alderaan. I have many questions, he will have the answers, especially why he told my son that I killed his father."


	5. Family

**AN: Thanks to everyone who's reveiwed!**

"I don't understand, Ben, why did you want to stop me?" Luke asked.

"Because, if Vader was in proximity, which he was from what you've told me, he could've easily picked up your communication with your sister," Obi-Wan said, he really couldn't fault the boy for trying, but it did complicate matters.

"Do you really think Vader eavesdropped?" Luke asked, sounding horrified.

"I think he heard. Vader was a very powerful Jedi, Luke, and since you were broadcasting your thoughts very loudly, he wouldn't have had to try, in fact, he'd have had to work to keep from hearing you, I think," Obi-Wan said gently.

"Oh…is she in danger?"

"If Vader intended to kill her, he would have done so by now."

"You seem to know him pretty well."

"I did train him, Luke. I thought I knew him very well, but I was apparently wrong."

"Was he a spy? I don't understand how he could've ever been on the good side," Luke said, obviously confused. Obi-Wan sighed. He'd have to tell the boy the truth, with Vader coming, and Vader knowing for sure that Luke was his son, of that Obi-Wan wouldn't doubt. Anakin had always been very perceptive about family connections, he wouldn't miss his own.

"Luke, I'm afraid that, in an effort to spare you much pain, I haven't been completely honest with you." Obi-Wan said.

"Huh? What are you talking about Ben?"

"There is no easy way to say this Luke, but your father is the pupil who became Darth Vader," Obi-Wan said.

"What!? Why would you keep something like that from me?" Luke shouted, launching himself into a standing position from the meditative pose he'd been in on the floor.

"I'm not proud of the decision, Luke, but I didn't think you were ready for the burden I've born for the past nineteen years. I loved your father; he was more than my pupil, he was my brother in every way that mattered."

"Yet he turned to the dark side and betrayed everything you taught him, why Ben? I need to understand," Luke begged him, and he could feel the boy's pain, see the boy's eyes glistening with unshed tears. Truth was a hard mistress, and she was taking her payment in full from Luke, and doing no less to Obi-Wan.

"You of all people do deserve to understand, Luke. Unfortunately my own understanding of what happened is limited."

"Tell me, I need to know at least as much as you do."

"Very well. The first thing you have to understand is the Emperor is a Sith Lord, and, as far as I know he has been his entire life. He definitely was one when he ascended to the Chancellor's chair, he had befriended Anakin from the day he had become my student. That first year was hard on both of us, my own master, Qui-Gon Jinn, had been killed by Palpatine's first apprentice. We were both grieving that loss, though neither of us would admit it at the time."

"Why not?" Luke asked.

"Because, a Jedi doesn't form attachments, of any kind. Looking back, I'd say it was the most violated aspect of the Code of all. Even Master Yoda couldn't obey it, yet they expected Anakin to."

"Did the Order demand more of my Father than other Jedi?"

"Yes, and no…to understand Anakin's position in the Order you need to hear about the Prophecy of the Chosen One. In that prophecy it tells of the Son of Suns, the one who would bring balance to the Force. Qui-Gon was convinced Anakin was the one the prophecy spoke of, and brought him to Coruscant to be trained, his midi-chlorian count was higher than that of any Jedi alive at the time."

"Midi-chlorian count?"

"Midi-chlorians are microscopic life forms that somehow connect all life to the Force, the more of them you have, the easier it is touch the Force."

"So only people with these midi-chlorians can use the Force?"

"Every living thing has them Luke, but most people, like Captain Solo or the Viceroy, or even Chewbacca have midi-chlorian counts of less than a thousand, usually around two or three hundred. To be considered for Jedi training, a child born in the Republic would've had to be born with a count of at least two thousand. Your father is off the scale of most detectors at over ten times the minimum."

"So they did expect a lot out of him then."

"Yes, they did. Yet he was also accepted for training much older than was typical at the time. When your Father became my Padawan the average age of new initiates was three months old for humans."

"You only accepted infants?"

"Yes…this, I think now, was a mistake. It left us ill prepared to deal with someone like Anakin, who not only formed attachments easily, but already had several major ones, including your mother."

"Let me see if I understand what you've told me so far, the Emperor is a Sith Lord, he took an interest in my father from the time he started his training, he's far older than any of the other new Jedi, and he's not allowed to maintain contact with anyone from his life before, right?"

"Yes, lacking of detail, but correct in the essentials."

"Seems to me you were fighting a battle for my Father's soul and didn't even realize it. We have to save him, Ben, turn him back to the good side."

"You have no idea how proud I am to hear you say that, Luke. However I don't know if such a laudable goal is possible, in the time that he has been Darth Vader, he had committed horrible evil."

"We have to try."

Obi-Wan looked down, partly to gather his own courage, and partly from shame of not having the ability or innocence to be able to do this on his own. He looked at the son of his brother, steel having formed in his eyes, as it had his soul. "Very well, but don't expect it to be easy. The hardest person to save someone from is them self," Obi-Wan stood up and turned back just before exiting Luke's room and said, "You better get some rest, tomorrow will be a busy day."

* * *

Mario wondered why Vader had gone into the Princess's cabin. Vader didn't strike him as a rapist, but he hadn't known many rapists. It was with these thoughts that he moved quickly when he heard her scream. He didn't get very far when Vader emerged.

"You will have to accept the truth, Leia. I am your father!" Vader said as he headed back to the cockpit. Mario was taken aback at this bit of news, and puzzled how the subject had come up, or how they even found out, Vader had given no indication that he'd known not even ten minutes ago, that and the fact he'd used her given name for the first time since retrieving her from her cell aboard the Death Star. Something definitely had changed.

"Luke told me the truth; you betrayed and murdered our father!" Leia screamed after him. Oh yes…this was going to get uncomfortable fast. If he could go unnoticed in this…family dispute, it would be a blessing. Vader wheeled around and pointed a gloved finger at her.

"That is a lie, spun by an old man to assuage his own guilt!"

"If you are our father, you must've raped our mother after killing her husband!"

Mario wasn't sure what to do; he was a tactical officer, not a councilor. Obviously something was going on here, and Mario decided the best thing to do would be to let it play out, unless one of them started to get violent.

"Never say that again. I loved your mother more than my own life!"

"Then why is she dead and you aren't?! You are a monster and I refuse to believe my mother could ever love a sadistic bastard like you!"

Mario winced in sympathy for Vader. For a pampered Princess, she could lay on some cutting insults.

"She wouldn't," Vader said quietly. Mario was surprised by the sudden change in him.

"Excuse me?" the Princess said, apparently as surprised as Mario was at the change in Vader.

"I said she wouldn't; she told me so herself, the last time I saw her alive," he looked up at her, and continued, "I should have seen the resemblance earlier, you look just like your mother when she was your age, or what I imagine her to have looked like at nineteen. You also have her spirit. She would be proud of the woman you've become. As proud of you as she would be ashamed of me." He went into the cockpit then.

Mario studied the Princess. She looked like she'd just finished watching a Klingon river dance before her in the buff—in other words, shell shocked.

* * *

Luke tossed and turned for nearly an hour before he finally gave up the prospect of sleep. It was still mid-afternoon on the farm…the farm. It felt like a lifetime ago that he stood and watched his uncle's farm burn, smelled the charred flesh of their horribly burned bodies. He hadn't shed any tears for them yet. With all that had been happening, there hadn't been time. Now that there was, nothing, he was completely numb. Was that normal?

He paced his room while thinking about his emotional state, but it didn't take him long to decide that he was getting nowhere with that. He sighed, sat on the bed and put his face into his hands. So much had happened in a very brief period of time. A sister, he had a sister, and his very first act as a brother put her in danger. Not only that, she was with their father. Their father, Jedi Knight, hero, traitor and murderer, was it worth going through all of this? He looked down at the metal cylinder on his belt; he took it off and turned it on. Was this the weapon that his father hunted down the Jedi with? How many of his fellows had this blade cut down? He examined it closely; the pride of holding it he'd felt in Ben's hut was gone, now there was only shame. The weapon made him feel sick. He was half tempted to chuck it out the window, he even moved to do so, but something stopped him, he had a thought; if he was planning on redeeming his father, should he be so willing to throw away that which his father had built with his own hands? Shouldn't his father's blade have an opportunity to be redeemed along with him?

Luke sighed, clipped the lightsaber back to his belt and left his room. He walked aimlessly for a while. While he walked he let his mind work on the real problem, how to get his father back. He didn't know enough, and neither did Obi-Wan. The only people who knew exactly what happened, so far as he knew, were his father and the Emperor, neither of which would be inclined to tell him, even if they were available. Luke soon found himself outside, the cool, crisp air jolting him out of his thoughts. The night was cold, colder than Luke had ever experienced, and the desert could get really cold at night. He smelled moisture in the air, and had he had more experience with the weather of Alderaan, he'd have guessed the first snows of winter were on the way.

He started towards the landing platform, he didn't really know why, but he just felt like it would be a good place to be. As he approached the platform and the _Falcon_, he saw the lights were on in the ship. As he approached the ramp, he heard a loud crash, followed by Han swearing, loudly, inventively, and in at least sixteen different languages. Luke trotted up the gangway and soon found Han. The Corellian was in an access hatch in the floor, he was stooped over picking up tools and placing them back into a tool chest.

"Need some help?" Luke asked, causing Han to stand straight up and bang his head on a pipe that was inconveniently placed. The older man howled in pain and more swearing followed.

"Don't DO THAT, KID!" Han said after he finished venting his spleen.

"Sorry, wasn't expecting you to jump like that," Luke said, not quite hiding a grin.

"Yeah, whatever. Wha'cha you doing out so late?" Han asked as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I couldn't sleep. It's barely mid-afternoon on the farm, and thinking about the farm leads me to thinking about my aunt and uncle, and part of the reason that we left Tatooine in such a hurry was that the Empire had killed them."

"Oh, Kid, I'm sorry. I know what it's like, you know, losing someone," Han said, true regret coloring his words, his features having dropped the mask they normally wore. He put the toolbox on the deck and hefted his long frame up beside Luke, his legs still dangling in the hole.

"I just wish I'd known about my family sooner, my father, my sister," Luke said, sitting cross-legged on the _Falcon's _deck next to Han.

So you have any luck finding this sister of yours?"

"Yeah, I did."

"That bad?" Han asked sympathetically.

"She's with Vader, and they are on their way here,"

"Really? So all we have to do is kill tall, dark, and wheezing?"

"It's not that simple I'm afraid, Han," Luke said, and sighed.

"Why not?"

"He's my father."

"Oh…that makes killing him a bit more complicated, I suppose."

"I think I can save him."

"Save Vader?" Han laughed, "From who? The fashion police?"

"From himself, from the Emperor. I don't expect you to understand. It's a Jedi matter."

"And you've been a Jedi for what, eighteen hours?"

Luke sighed, smiling ruefully as he shook his head. "There's more. I don't believe my mother would've had anything to do with him if he'd been evil his whole life." cross-

"I hate to break it to you kid, but she didn't necessarily have to cooperate," Han said gently putting a hand on Luke's shoulder.

"I know, but I don't think it happened that way. Ben said that my father loved my mother from the day that they met."

"That doesn't mean it went both ways."

"I know; I just wish that there was some way of knowing for sure." Luke said, sounding lost.

"Didn't the protocol droid say some strange stuff about your mother before we landed?" Han asked, Luke looked up and brightened.

"Hey, you're right, he did! Lets go get him and see if we can restore his memory. Artoo might have some information as well!"

* * *

Leia's face was hot from the anger and burning resentment she held for the man who…could have been her father. She had little doubt that he'd sired her, and, apparently, her twin brother. That did not mean that she had to deal with him after what he'd done to her. Her sensitivity to the Force was beginning to wake, and as that happened, doubt fled. She couldn't have said that she had ever seen her twin, but she knew down in the deepest part of her soul what he _felt_ like, and, she hated to admit to herself, the sheer strength of Luke's Force signature precluded thought of anyone else being their…biological parent.

Tears slipped from her eyes as she began to mentally grasp the enormity of what one careless act by her brother had cost them, had, in truth, thus far, cost her. She felt a gentle hand on her back, guiding her to the shuttle's small lounge. She hiccupped as the thought struck her as funny; the two seats there hardly qualified as a 'lounge.'

The sound had started as a laugh, but couldn't get far enough past the tears to make it to actual laughter. Lieutenant Latan patted her back soothingly, and—unlike most of the time—he seemed to actually have a clue as to when he needed to shut his mouth and let things happen. Perhaps he knew, and just chose to ignore the internal warnings that everyone seemed to have been born with.

Or maybe those senses were just starting to reawaken. She knew he talked more about that sort of thing with Vader than he did with her, but he'd mentioned things, and she was smart enough to connect the dots. He had been enslaved inside his own body by the…attachments that the Borg had made to his physical body.

She felt the tearing apart and restructuring of her world in an instant, and she forced herself to take a deep breath, and accept it.

Her tears had stopped, and she sighed as she looked over at Lieutenant Latan. "I suppose you want to know what that was all about."

"You seemed rather insistent that you were correct. Him, too," he said, jerking a thumb back toward the cockpit.

"He's undoubtedly right, but that doesn't mean that I want to accept it."

"Ok, so we went from the two of you being mortal enemies to family in two-point-three seconds, why?"

"Luke."

"Who is?"

"My brother. My twin brother," she said, shaking her head.

"Okay, so…what did he do?"

"He contacted me. Not the smartest thing for him to have done, but perhaps it will help things. He's on Alderaan with my father and General Kenobi."

"So…wait, what?" he asked, then she looked at him quizzically. "What does your twin contacting you have anything to do with anything? And I thought he had all the controls locked down in the whole ship."

Her eyes widened and flashed with understanding. "Not shipboard communications. He used the Force," she said, and to his what-the-hell-is-that look, she took on a tone of explanation. "The Force is an energy that all living beings have. The Jedi, during the Republic, used it for the good of the Republic. Vader is a Sith, a Force user who has turned to the dark side."

"So, he is a magician?"

"Well," she scrunched her brow in a particularly cute way. He thought it endearing, and he wished he knew what similarly endearing habits his children must have picked up from his grandmother or just developed on their own. "Probably not the way that you mean, but I suppose that would be a way to explain it. Jedi were not universally powerful, but…"

"You don't know very much, do you?"

"No, I'm trying to remember things my father told me when I was very young, before the Empire intervened in all school systems on all planets. He didn't dare to teach me much more of the truth after that, at least not until I was much older. It's only been in the last couple of years that he's started to tell me about the way things were then again."

"And you haven't gotten back to the Jedi?"

"No," she said.

"So, why the change of heart?" Latan asked.

"He has no reason to lie about this. Besides, I think this is almost as painful for him as it is me," Leia said, not really understanding where such an idea came from.

* * *

Vader sat down at the controls, he was struggling with his feelings; part of him was happy, happier than that day Padmé had told him she was pregnant. That same part of him lamented not telling Obi-Wan from the beginning, then there was another part of him that mourned, mourned all the lost time. The time he should've been a father, the time he and Padmé should've had with their children, to watch them grow up. Palpatine had stolen that from him—no—it was true that Palpatine led him down the path he now walked, but he'd chosen to walk it, knowing that it was not the path of goodness and light. He could've turned away. He should've turned away, but his fear didn't let him. Then there was the assault on the Temple. The killing of the Jedi. There was pain there in killing those he'd counted as friends, yet there was also the POWER. It had been intoxicating, turning loose like he'd never been able to before, and in that intoxication, even the pain had transformed into another kind of power. He sang in the Force that night; that the song was harsh and cruel didn't matter. His last act at the Temple, the killing of the younglings, had been both the hardest and yet easiest thing he'd ever done in his life. He remembered their faces, of course, but more than that he remembered the rush of power that came as he snuffed out each life. He knew it was wrong, he knew he shouldn't, but he had NEEDED the power. To save her, he had told himself at the time, but he knew then and knew now that that wasn't true. The desperation to save her had twisted inside him until it was simply the power that he had craved, and it had happened so fast that he hadn't realized at the time what exactly had happened when he had pledged himself to the teachings of the Sith.

No, he might not have realized it then, but now, the truth was a bitter pill to swallow. The truth was he needed the power because of how it made him feel. He knew that the instant he reached out with the Force to snuff out the one life that he'd done it all for, or so he had told himself at the time. No, the reason he'd done it was because he LIKED her fear, some sick twisted part of him had liked it that she was afraid of him. He LIKED holding her life in his grip. That power, that was what had taken her from him, what had taken Luke and Leia from him.

He knew now that he had been completely out of control on Mustafar, and that he'd never been that out of control ever since. It was interesting that he also never felt the same rush of power as he had that first night as a Sith. The crash afterwards—that had been the real pain for him that night, not the fires that scorched him, nor the loss of his limbs. He swallowed hard as he forced himself to look at it, that his real pain was coming down off the power. He hungered for more, and yet there wasn't a way to get it. Not until Palpatine told him he'd killed Padmé. Then his rage returned, only this time it was directed inward; he felt the power then, but it wasn't as sweet as it had been.

Or maybe it had always been that bitter, and he just had been fooling himself that it had ever been sweet. He felt something on his face, and his vision blurred, something was streaming down his face, hot and wet. He pounded the console. The whole thing was a lie: the power, Padmé's death. That he was childless by his own hand. A lie told by a master liar. Worse, a lie he'd fervently had believed until the past hour. He groaned with building frustration, what could he do now? It was the same question he'd asked in Palpatine's office after Master Windu's death. If that was an irrevocable step, weren't the last two decades even more damning? Why should his children accept him now? The answer was obvious, they shouldn't. Leia didn't, and if Obi-Wan was filling his son's head with lies, then he certainly wouldn't. Leia had a father, a good father. His rage rose at that thought, tempting him with power. He howled, drinking from that poison well once again, letting the power rise in him. He let it fill him. He relished it; even as he knew it for what it was. Then in a rush of release, the transparisteel window cracked, and then shattered, causing the air to rush out at hurricane force. Vader was too lost in the power to even notice the rapidly dropping pressure, or the alarms.


	6. Horror

AN: Sorry this took so long to get up, I have started work on a second story and will be alternating between them. That said, I want to thank everyone who's reveiwed and I have a couple of shout outs to make this chappie.

Hello Bill: I don't know if you got my response, the email addy you left in your reveiw was removed from the site so I hope the response I gave you arrived, if not, you have a green light. :) I also recommend you look at Yoda's Shadow by Amthyst_Fire for movie fodder.

Roger D: The Borg are still out there, you'll see some of them in this chapter.

JC: Yeah, but you have to keep in mind the vast majority of the Galaxy doesn't even know about them...yet.

Hewhoreaps: Yeah, Vader now has proof that he's been lied to. We'll be exploring a bit more about why he's still in the Dark in spite of all of the pain its caused him.

Now onward with the story!

* * *

"We're ready sir," the tech said. "Very well, proceed," Tarkin ordered.

The tech worked his console with expert motions, then said, "Done, we should have control now."

"Take us out of hyperspace then," Tarkin said.

"Aye, taking us out of hyperspace now," the coxswain replied, as he manipulated the controls of the massive station. Everyone on the command bridge held their breath and then whooped when the mottled sky of hyperspace was replaced with star streaks, then the pinpoints of the stars themselves.

"Alright then, now let's fight off these invaders and get back to hunting down the Rebels," Tarkin ordered.

* * *

"Ok, BLOW IT!" the sergeant said.

"Fire in the HOLE!" Boom said, as he twisted the detonator.

There was a huge explosion as a power relay exploded, catching a number of the invaders; bits of metal and flesh flew through the air, as the emergency lights began their blood-red strobe, smoke filled the corridor from the destroyed power conduit, and damage alarms screeched. Some of the acrid smell from burned flesh and insulation reached Boom's nostrils in spite of his helmets filters. The stormtroopers let out a whoop of triumph; they finally killed some of them! However the sense of triumph was short lived as Boom switched his helmet to low light conditions and saw several of the invaders stop short of the hole in the deck made by the explosion. Hope surged for just a moment only to be crushed as they vanished and reappeared in the same instant on the other side of the newly made chasm. He raised his BlasTech rifle to find the invaders were just as invulnerable to the stormtroopers regular weapons as ever. The invader's reached the first seven troopers of the squad and systematically disintegrated them before their fellows' eyes. They'd finally come close enough for his visual enhancements to resolve their faces. At first Boom didn't notice the awful truth, for their faces were the same bone white of the other invaders, then something clicked in his mind. He was looking at Shooter, his own bunkmate! It couldn't be him, it just couldn't, yet it HAD to be. The invaders didn't have a reason to duplicate any of them, much less the scar that ran down from Shooter's left cheek, down through his chin. He'd gotten that scar during the Great Wookiee Uprising five years ago.

"Sarge! Those aren't invaders! Their US!" Boom shouted.

"What do you mean, trooper?!" the sergeant shouted over the din of battle.

"Look at their faces! They are our brothers!" he replied.

The sergeant concentrated for a moment, evaluating the evidence. "By the Oceans of Kamino! He's right! Those troopers aren't being killed, they're being…converted!"

"Eat hot plasma, bastards!" Boom shouted, putting an e-web repeater on its tripod and started firing it. He hit the same spot on one of the converted troopers for several seconds, then its shield went down and the former trooper went down too, he started trying the same thing with the next one. Then the drone behind his target plugged into his target, and before he could stop firing, his blasts started ricocheting off the now enhanced shield.

"What in the hell!?" Boom swore as he ceased fire, taking cover from the ricochets.

"Grenades, troops!" the sergeant ordered.

"Yes sir!" Boom said, glad that they'd given up trying to prevent damage to the station. The remaining troops unhooked the tube that held their thermal detonators. Boom took his three and waited for the order to throw.

"NOW!" the sarge said, and Boom threw his three 'little spheres of joy' as he liked to call thermal detonators. Three seconds later he heard the satisfying explosions. He dared a look around a corner to see the carnage wrought by the silver spheres. It was a look he regretted, as he found himself staring into the unseeing organic eye of a drone. This wouldn't be a problem for Boom normally, he'd seen death before, the problem was the eye didn't belong to a corpse, it belonged to Shooter. Shooter's hand came up and Boom heard a sharp hiss, then The corridor vanished and he found himself in a room with other clones, all of whom were in various states of transformation. They were in compartments just large enough to stand in. He tried to move, only to find that his limbs wouldn't obey the commands his brain was giving. He felt an odd tingling sensation move through his body. He tried to look around, but not only was his head and limbs immobile, so were his eyes. The room was bathed in a sick yellow-green glow, the air was warm, and humid. So humid that a thin fog twisted and turned on the air currents. He tasted more then smelled the air as he couldn't breath deep, and it tasted of the recycled air he was used to, mixed with an antiseptic smell of a hospital, yet there was a slight hint of the funk of unwashed bodies. There were several of the invaders in the room outside of the compartments. They seemed to be monitoring the transformation that he and his brothers were going through.

Then the first real pain hit as some bit of…something pierced his left cheek, he felt six prongs attach a centimeter away from the spot the object emerged from. At the same time he began, feeling, or was it hearing a buzz coming from someplace, then he felt something sharp pierce the skin of his left arm, and it kept going. He wanted to scream as the saw cut through flesh and bone, but he couldn't. The sick, metallic smell of blood hit his nostrils, his blood.

On his face he felt something growing around his left eye from where the object had pierced his cheek. It wasn't as painful as losing his arm had been, but it hurt. Once whatever it was finished surrounding his eye, it started covering it. Before the left eye was fully covered the closing iris of metal formed a needle like object, and he realized with horror what was about to happen. The needle like object drove into his eye, he felt it push on through to the retina where it attached, the pain was near unbearable, but he was helpless before it. Once the retina probe had secured itself, he felt six additional probes pierce the retina and these drove past it, then he started seeing flashes of color, this lasted several minutes, then the eye went blind.

The buzzing was growing louder and at times Boomer could swear he was hearing voices in the buzz, in the mean time, one of the invaders had came over to him and placed something over his left eye which caused the vision to return to it, but it was different than just his organic eye. It was feeding him a lot of information, enough to give him a headache, furthermore, the information it was displaying he didn't understand. To add to his disorientation, the visual display coming into his left eye was decidedly wide angle and he was seeing what he could only assuming were different parts of the spectrum than he was used to, even with the enhancements in his combat helmet. As all of this was happening, pain had become Boomer's constant companion, and if the invaders were concerned with his comfort, they gave no indication of that concern. They just kept taking away the organic parts they didn't want, painfully, and adding mechanical replacements, also painfully. Boom lost track of time during this torture, he knew he was being turned into a soldier for them, but they were going to be disappointed, he would NEVER do to his brothers what was being done to him. Yet doubt crept in, because Shooter had done it to him, and Boom had KNOWN Shooter. They had been bunk mates for years, practically since they had been decanted. There was no way Shooter would help these…monsters turn his brothers into more of them. Yet he was and that was what worried Boom. Just what compulsion were they using on Shooter to make him do their terrible bidding?

The answer arrived suddenly, as the buzzing he'd been hearing nearly from the start of this nightmare finally resolved itself into the voices he'd thought he'd been hearing.

_Resistance is futile, you are a part of us now. We are the Borg, you are designated 145 of 1000 attached to secondary adjunct of Assimilation Unimatrix two. Your directives are to assist in the assimilation of the organics of this sphere. The Collective must grow._

Boom's mind railed against the instructions, then he felt his body start to move, of it's own accord. The room then vanished and he found himself in a corridor of the Death Star, stormtroopers were firing at him, but their weapons were ineffective as his personal shield came up automatically, onward he walked until getting close to one of his brothers, and to his horror his arm came up and he saw two tubes come out from the wrist and attach to the trooper's neck. Then the trooper vanished.

_Forgive me, brother. I can't stop it…_and Boom would've wept had the Collective allowed it.

.

* * *

Latan shoved Leia into her room; he didn't know what Vader was doing in the cockpit, but his Borg sensors had picked up a sudden increase in pressure in the cockpit. To her credit, or maybe as a testament to the level of shock she was truly in, she didn't resist. Then he went up to the cockpit, the door opened just as the front window blew out, air rushed out in a hurricane of violence that lasted just an instant before the emergency panel slammed shut.

"What the hell happened!?" Latan asked.

"It seems that the front window has been blown out," Vader said, there was something not right in the baritone of his voice. Latan bit back a curse.

"I see that, Captain Obvious. My question is how. While you and the Princess slept I took the liberty to scan this ship for any possible failure points. There was no reason for it to fail. Now I want to know what happened."

"You don't need to know what happened," Vader said, waving his hand, Latan swore he could feel a pressure inside his skull, like the Borg, but subtly different, he resisted shaking his head.

"Yes I do, I need you to stop the Borg, but if your going to come unhinged and break things that we need, then I don't need you."

"How dare you speak to me this way!" Vader said, he wasn't shouting, but there was a definite edge to his voice.

"How dare you try to suffocate us? Your daughter is back there, and you could have gotten her killed!"

"I need you to plan the defense of the Empire, creature, but my patience has limits." Vader's voice was ominous.

"And just what are you going to do, throw another temper tantrum?" Vader roared in rage and Latan felt the pressure on his throat again, not that it made any difference in his ability to function, and he swung the heavy appendage on his left arm hitting Vader in the mask, but the mask was tougher than it looked. Vader threw him across the cockpit, Latan hit the bulkhead hard.

"So that's how its going to be, huh?" Latan said and brought up the Borg weaponry on his appendage, set it for stun and fired. Vader's crimson blade was there before the bolt reached him, and the bolt was deflected, dissipating harmlessly on the bulkhead. Vader brought his blade around in a arc designed to decapitate Latan, and it impacted on his Borg shielding, though Latan knew he didn't have much time before the rod of coherent light would penetrate his defenses. He directed his appendage to grip the hilt of the blade with the pincers on the end. He pulled the blade from contact of his shield then snapped it in two, killing the blade.

Vader roared in rage at this turn of events and moved to punch Latan. Latan ducked under the swing and rabbit punched Vader just beneath the chest plate with is right hand causing Vader to grunt in pain, while the dark figure was distracted, Latan brought his appendage back up against Vader's mask again, harder this time and the mask cracked from the force of the impact. As it fell away Latan fired another stun bolt right into Vader's exposed face.

* * *

Luke and Han found Threepio resting in what could only be described as a droid garage. There were dozens of droids there, and most of them were shut down for the night, including the object of their search.

One of the maintenance droids approached them, and Luke said, "I need C-3P0."

The maintenance droid plugged into a nearby socket, and Threepio woke up. "Oh, Master Luke, what can I do for you?" he asked as he shuffled forward.

"Well, we wanted to see if we can restore your memory," Luke answered.

"Restore my memory, Master Luke? I am unaware of any malfunction in my memory systems."

"Sure you are," Han said, "You had your memory wiped about the time the kid was born, from what I hear."

"Oh, sir, I don't think that it would be appropriate to restore memories from that far back. I am perfectly happy not having them."

"I'm sorry Threepio, but I need to restore them because I want to ask you some questions about that far back."

"Oh, my, sir, I don't know if I could answer your questions."

"We'll never know until we try, Goldenrod. Let's go."

They led him to the workshop. Threepio protested all the way there and Luke started to wonder if this was a response to what they were trying to do or the droid's own seeming paranoia about everything. Threepio and Artoo were puzzles; they didn't really act like any droid Luke had ever dealt with. They were more like living beings, and he found himself feeling sorry for the droid, but soon they had him shut off and started work.

"This should be fairly straight forward," Luke said as they started taking off the droid's covering and found a hodgepodge of components.

"This isn't anything like a standard arrangement, it looks like someone cobbled him together out of what they could find in a junk pile," Han said.

"Yeah, who ever did this either was insane or a certified genius," Luke agreed.

They continued going through Threepio's internals attempting to identify their functions.

"So much for being easy," Luke lamented after they'd been at it for an hour.

"Not your fault kid, you had no way to know it wasn't a production line model."

"True…whoever built him apparently kept working on him even after he was built, and their skill improved a lot between the time he was built."

"How do you know it was the same person?" Han asked.

"It just looks like the same person's handiwork. Are you telling me if someone else did a repair on the _Falcon_ that it wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb to you?"

"Point taken, ah…I think this is what we've been looking for," Han said, pulling up a relatively nondescript component.

"It looks like a custom job," Luke said as he looked over what Han found.

"Yeah, but its hooked up to his primary memory module, there's a couple of switches here, but they aren't labeled, ones green and the other is red. Look at this, there's a counter on here, it's counting down too."

"How much time is left on it?"

"Just a couple of minutes."

"I wonder what it is?"

"Well, if this is a backup memory unit, it's probably a count down to an auto backup. You know kid, he might only have snippets of what you're wanting."

"I know, but something would be better than nothing."

The timer ran out and the green button lit up, it stayed lit for several seconds, then went out. The timer then reset to a standard week.

"If that was what I think it was, we should be able to restore the backup by pressing the red button," Luke said.

"Yeah, you want to do the honors?"

"Sure," Luke said pressing the button. The timer display changed.

"Password?" Han said.

"Why would they password protect it?"

"I don't know, but how are we going to get it?"

"I don't know," Luke said and blew out a sigh. Then, unbidden, R2-D2 came up to them, his holoprojector lit up and they saw a man about the same age as Luke, maybe a few years older, he was obviously working on Threepio.

"Is he ready yet?" a woman's voice said, off screen, out of the scene being displayed.

"Just about, Padmé. Do you want me to password protect this?" the man said.

"Ummm….that might be a good idea," the woman's voice said.

"I just wish I could do this to Artoo, I was lucky that time I lost him. Obi-Wan was FURIOUS over that."

"I bet," she said, and came into Artoo's view.

"There…now what do you want the password to be?" the man asked, looking up at her adoringly.

"Well it needs to be something no one will ever guess…ah, I know."

"Ok, and say it…now."

"Padmé Naberrie Amidala Skywalker."

The holorecording ended there and the red button lit up. Han and Luke looked at each other in shock at what the little astromech had just shown them.

* * *

Vader woke. It was actually something of an unusual event, but he was concerned about how he'd gotten where he was. He was in his cabin on his personal shuttle, and the problem was, he didn't remember putting himself there. The last thing he did remember was settling in at the controls of the shuttle, to think about what his discovery of Luke and Leia's existence as it related to him meant.

Everything after that came to him in a rush, and he felt horror at what he'd nearly done. _Padmé, I endangered our daughter, I'm sorry. I am unfit to be a parent. _He was getting angry again; this time at himself, and the same power came, beckoned to him to partake once more. It was tempting to do it, but at the same time he dare not. The Power became more insistent that he use it. It was like this all the time when he was angry with himself. He was fighting a losing battle and he knew it; the more tempting it became to use the power, the angrier he got with himself, the angrier he got the more tempting the power became. It was a vicious circle that he couldn't break himself from. He wanted to scream in rage, but to do that would give the Power the opening it needed to overwhelm him once more with who knew what consequences would come, and with that thought came fear which again only fed the Power and his need for it. He was getting desperate, desperate enough to allow himself to sink into a Jedi trance, when the idea struck him to do so. The Power railed at this, it lashed at his soul, demanding to be used. Yet Vader started chanting, something he'd thought he'd left behind a long time a go.

"There is no emotion, there is Peace. There is no ignorance, there is Knowledge. There is no Passion, there is Serenity. There is no chaos, there is Harmony. There is no death, there is the Force."

The words formed a weak shield from the Power, and he felt a small glimmer of hope, and the hope fed into the shield, and the shield grew stronger, and as it grew stronger, he felt things he thought he'd lost the ability to feel, and each of those fed the shields, and in turn, the shield fed those things. He wasn't sure what they were anymore, he just knew that he'd lost them along the way somewhere, and the knowledge that he'd lost them caused him sorrow, but even the sorrow was fed into the shield, and strengthened it, because it was not the sorrow of self, but the sorrow of understanding.

"There is no emotion, there is Peace. There is no ignorance, there is Knowledge. There is no Passion, there is Serenity. There is no chaos, there is Harmony. There is no death, there is the Force."

If knowledge created sorrow, that was the price of knowledge. Peace would come in its own time. Serenity would soothe his soul. The Force would heal the wounds he kept tearing open, the ones that were self-inflicted in the first place.

* * *

Leia wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but the alarms had settled down, for which she was grateful. She wasn't about to try going into the lounge, at least not until she got a _lot_ hungrier than she was right now. She didn't know what had happened, but it had sent bone-deep chills through her, and made her remember why the entire galaxy was afraid of her…father. Force, it was strange to think of him, at all, much less like that.

She sighed, sitting on the bed. There wasn't anything she could do, she told herself. Not about Vader or Luke or even herself. Knowing what was going on would help ease her mind, perhaps, but even that would make her more anxious.

The alarms were pressure alarms, and that meant that the front cabin had probably depressurized. She wondered what could have done that, but the chilly darkness made her think Vader had been responsible. _Why?_ she wondered. _Why would he do that?_

There was no answer, though. There were other questions that didn't have answers, too. It was painfully obvious, to her at least, that Vader was still deeply in love with her mother. How could he love her, love anyone, if he was the Emperor's personal weapon?

He hadn't known that she or her brother had lived. What had gone wrong there? Had they been hidden? Her dreams, perhaps memories, suggested that they had. Luke had gone with Obi-Wan Kenobi, and she had gone with her father. And it had hurt beyond measure to be separated from her twin.

As she thought about her early memories, they became clearer. She remembered more, and what she remembered made her shiver. "Obi-Wan," she heard her mother say, "There is good in him…still."

After that, she knew her mother was gone. The light that had been with her from the very moment that she was conceived went out, never to be felt again.

She had known. Her mother had known that her father had turned into the monster that was in the ship with her, and had still loved him.

_I don't know enough, not nearly enough,_ she thought, and tears welled up in her eyes.

_I don't know why any of this happened, and I need to know, _she thought. _I need to know why my father turned to darkness and broke my mother's heart. I need to know why we aren't a family._


	7. Memories

Leia walked out of her cabin and found Latan standing outside Vader's cabin. He was rock still, his one organic eye staring at nothing. She stood there for a few minutes watching him, then, deciding she needed to get this over with, she called his name.

Latan stirred, "Yes, your highness?"

"Where is…Vader?"

"He's in his cabin right now," Latan said, sounding annoyed.

"At this time of day?" Leia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Latan said his tone clipped, and Leia realized that what she thought was annoyance was really well-concealed rage.

"What did he do?" she said, sighing, putting together the noise she'd heard earlier with the current state of affairs.

"He knocked out the front window in the cockpit. I was reprogramming my nanoprobes to fix the damage," he told her, explaining why he was staring at nothing.

"Why did he knock out the window?"

"The way he was acting when I found him, I'd say drugs. There's no telling what he could have his suit pumping into him. I couldn't see his eyes obviously, but I'm positive they'd have been glassy. Who in their right mind would have a druggie ranked so highly?" Latan said, obviously puzzled.

"A druggie?" she asked, turning to face him.

Mario turned to look at her. "Yeah. You know," he started, realizing it was just another in a long line of things he was going to have to work through 'til he found a 'proper' definition for, "Someone who's addicted to something, like heroin or cocaine, or methamphetamines. It doesn't happen often, and I've watched more movies about it than I've seen people who've been strung out, but I do have a reasonably good idea what I'm talking about, in his case, based on what I saw of his face it probably started out for pain control and he's let it get out of control, so I suppose I'll be sympathetic with him when I'm done being angry with him for nearly getting us killed."

She nodded, understanding the definition. "Pain control?"

"Yeah, I don't know how much the Empire has told the public about him, and I'm no doctor, but his face looks like someone tried to burn it off, a long time ago," Latan said.

"I know he needs the suit to live. It helps him breathe. It should help ease the fear he invokes, knowing he's vulnerable just like any of us, but the combination of his mask…wait, you saw his face?" Leia said, shocked.

"Yeah, we kinda had a fight," Latan said, not sounding proud of this fact.

"And you are still alive? Impressive."

"I have my implants to thank for that fact. As much as I want to get back to normal I have to say this stuff DOES come in handy from time to time. Anyway, in the course of the fight, I broke his mask. That's how I saw his face."

"I see, and you put him into his cabin after that?"

"Yes, I figure he's got to meet at least some biological functions that he needs to be out of the suit, that means he had to have equipment on this shuttle. I doubt it's as elaborate as it would've been on the station, but it serves the purpose of keeping him alive for a proper chewing out."

"You're planning on dressing down Darth Vader?"

"Of course; a first week recruit in Starfleet knows better than to compromise the structural integrity of a starship. He really ought to know better and I intend to see to it he does, even if I have to stick my foot so far up his ass my big toe can tickle his spleen."

"You sure are brave…" Leia said, not sure if Latan was just posturing or if he meant it.

"I've faced down Starfleet marines, Your Highness. Tall, dark and broody in there doesn't frighten me," he told her, turning away from the door, and, she sensed, away from his anger. He sat in the small lounge and she sat down across from him.

"He should…he was once a Jedi and they were formidable warriors."

"I've already seen the worse he can do, besides, risk is our business," Latan said with a smile, quoting the unofficial motto of Starfleet.

"When will I be able to talk to him?" she asked, changing the subject.

"I don't know, but whenever you do, he probably won't be in a good mood."

"I doubt he's been in a good mood in twenty years."

* * *

Luke recovered first. "Artoo, do you have any other videos of them?"

By that point, Han had shaken himself from his stupor, and started reassembling Threepio. Artoo's beeping was less than comprehensible, and he seemed to be of the negative opinion. "Come on, kid. We may as well get him back together, and maybe he can help us talk shorty over there into showing us whatever else he has stored in his memory banks, if there is anything."

Luke looked back at Artoo once more, but the droid settled in, and he thought that Artoo was probably taping them. He mentally snorted at the idea that Artoo taped most of what went on around him 'for posterity' as slightly preposterous, and started helping Han rearrange Threepio's insides so that they could reassemble him and turn him back on to translate for the little droid, because neither of them had ever learned to interpret astromech.

The work went more quickly than taking him apart had, and within the hour they had Threepio back together.

"Well, moment of truth," Luke said.

"Yup," Han said and flipped the switch. Threepio's eyes lit up.

"Hello, Master Luke, Captain Solo," he said, and then he paused for the space of a breath. "You appear to have been successful in your endeavor."

"Good! So you remember everything?"

"Yes, Master Luke, however, I'm afraid I'm going to prove inadequate to your requests," Threepio sounded apologetic.

"What do you mean?" Luke asked.

"While I have all of my memories restored I'm afraid I was not present for much of your father's life. Master Anakin built me when he was only nine standard years old. It wasn't long after that that he left with the Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn and Mistress Padmé, leaving me behind to take care of Mistress Shmi," Threepio explained.

"Who's this Shmi?" Han asked.

"Shmi Skywalker, Captain Solo. Master Anakin's mother. Which I suppose makes her Master Luke's grandmother.

"Would Artoo have any images from that time?" Luke asked.

"I wouldn't know, Master Luke," Threepio said.

"Well, little guy, do you?" Han asked.

Artoo beeped, and squawked, sounding to Luke like he was not happy with the request.

"He says that he does, but he doesn't want to show them, he's afraid it will make you unhappy, Master Luke. He seems to think that you are something like your father and Master Anakin never took unexpected news well," Threepio said.

"Why would I be upset with him for something that he had no control over?"

Artoo beeped out a lengthy response.

"He says that he doesn't expect you to be unhappy with him, just unhappy in general, Master Luke. The rest of what he said was directed to me and I agree with him. It would cause you untold amounts of emotional distress, and I would rather not do that."

"I see, would that reluctance have anything to do with Darth Vader being my father?" Luke asked.

"You know, sir?" Threepio sounded dumbfounded.

"Yes Threepio, I know. That's why I want to learn as much as I can. I want to try to help him come back to the good side."

"I'm afraid neither one of us would be able to speak to Master Anakin's motivations, Master Luke."

"I'm not expecting that, but I'm hoping having a bit of a chronology will help me make sense of anything Ben has to add," Luke said.

"Very well Master Luke. Artoo, what is the earliest recording you have of Master Anakin?" Threepio asked, and Artoo beeped in response and started playing a holo-recording.

"This was taken on Tatooine in Watto's junk shop in Mos Espa. Your mother, who was the elected Queen of Naboo at the time, had followed Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn disguised as a handmaiden, what you are about to see is their first interaction."

* * *

Tarkin stood triumphantly on the bridge of the Death Star, which was currently floating motionless, relatively, in space. That he couldn't make it do more was a source of slight irritation, but he was sure that his people could remedy that shortly. In the mean time, he was waiting for them to regain sufficient control of the communications systems that he could speak with the Emperor without worrying that the blasted aliens would be able to interrupt them. "Sir, the link to the capital is ready," one of the technicians, said.

"Excellent, make the connection," Tarkin ordered.

"Of course sir." The technician pressed a few buttons and the face of the Emperor appeared before them.

"Governor Tarkin, to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" the Emperor asked.

"Your Highness," Tarkin bowed, "I unfortunately am contacting you to inform you of a threat to the Empire…" Tarkin outlined the events the past two days with few interruptions. "That is our current status as of now," Tarkin finished.

"And where is Lord Vader, I would like his input on this matter," the Emperor asked.

"He fled the station, Your Highness," Tarkin said, taking immense pleasure at relaying that information to the Emperor.

"Mmmmm, he must have gotten some information that warranted it. Rest assured I will discuss this with my apprentice next time I speak with him. In the meantime, what do you think are your chances of retaining control over the Death Star, and do not boast, Governor. I need your military expertise, not bluster."

"Very well, your Majesty. It doesn't look good, they seem to be converting our crew into more invaders, and I don't know how much intelligence…" Tarkin stopped with a jerk as a drone appeared behind him and immediately stuck him with it assimilation tubes. Tarkin then disappeared in a green light even as the stormtroopers stationed on the command bridge began shooting at the drone. The drone ignored them and began scanning the controls of the command bridge. It methodically went from one station to the next, then went to one of the technicians and hit him with the assimilation tubes, and then both of them vanished in the same green light that took Tarkin swept them both away.

* * *

Vader was far more relaxed than anytime he could remember, at least not well. He had busied himself with the repair of his mask. The visual enhancements were lost causes, but he was unconcerned with those, the breathing mechanism was what was important. In the calmness of this moment he realized that he'd been a fool and that Latan was right to criticize him over…the incident. He sighed and wondered, not for the first time, how everything and become so…twisted. He'd never dreamed this would be what his life would be like when he was fighting the Clone Wars. He realized that it was the war alone that kept him from just leaving the Order and being with Padmé; he'd have been happy running a small repair shop on Naboo, helping Padmé raise their children. Had he—no, both of them—not felt that his duty required that he remain in the Order, that he go out and fight, and return, where another might have gone and died…he hadn't been able to stomach the thought, but now he realized that the whole war was orchestrated around Palpatine's desire for power, and part of that had been the power he had over Vader's life, even then.

His vision blurred, and he wiped away the tears he just couldn't bring himself to shed. He sat back, his lips trembling. He was afraid. He was weak. He was pathetic, a sad pathetic creature, and he loathed himself. He couldn't face his own emotions anymore than he could face his memories. The fact that they were linked was immaterial; he just couldn't bring himself to face them.

Leia, strong-willed, tirelessly determined Leia was as much like him in personality as she was like her mother in looks. Would she ever understand what had happened to him, much less why? Did she sense the weakness within him, the fear? Did she know that she'd been saddled with such a coward as he for a father? That he couldn't even face his _memories_. That thoughts of his wife reduced him to an incoherent blubbering fool?

A chime at the door interrupted his train of thoughts. He stretched out with his feelings. If it were Latan, he would just ignore it, but if it was Leia, and she was reaching out to him, that he couldn't ignore, no matter the internal torment her presence would put him through. He had thought she had died with her mother at his hand nearly twenty years ago. He wasn't going to let another moment slip by if he could help it.

_Leia,_ he thought as he felt her anxiety. He used the Force to open the door. He still had a number of repairs that he needed to make on his mask, and it would be some time before he would be able to leave the room. The regulators and carbon scrubbers around the room were quieter than his usual breathing apparatus, but it was still a constant noise level that he detested.

He didn't turn to look at her. Oh, he wanted to, but he wasn't sure he could stand the rejection that he was sure he would see on her face when she saw his. She entered, hesitant, because he didn't say anything, or meet her at the door, but he didn't know what he wanted to say to her, and he didn't know what she'd learned of…the incident from Latan, nor what she wanted from him.

"Can…can I ask you some questions?" she was afraid of him. His own daughter feared his presence. Not that she let that dictate her actions, she couldn't and be a Skywalker, but the fact that he could feel her fear weighed on his soul.

"Yes," he said, clearing his throat after, his voice raspy, not the clear baritone that he had been graced with before Mustafar. He wasn't used to having to project his voice, since he had been so close to death in so many ways, so many things were now simply done by the equipment that accompanied him everywhere, and permeated every part of his existence.

She sighed, sitting on the edge of his bed. He heard the slight creak as she sat down. He almost never used the bed, because to do so would require him to remove his armor, and that was a task of unimaginable difficulty, at least, if he wanted to do it without damaging the armor. It tended to snag on his prosthetics if he wasn't very, very careful, and it did that enough anyway that he had to replace all of the armor at least once a month, more often if he was in combat. He didn't like the thought of having to replace the armor more like once a week because he was taking it off more often than absolutely necessary. "What happened to make you…a Sith?"

The question came from so far past the Outer Rim that he couldn't breathe for a moment. He wasn't hooked up to any of his machines, so it was one of the rare moments where his body actually responded to the emotions that tightened his chest muscles, making it feel like a Besalisk was sitting on his chest. It was such a complete turnaround from what she'd said—only just that day. "That is a rather vagur question," he told her quietly, using a small set of pliers to remove one of the wires that had been damaged, "Could you be a bit more specific?"

She thought for a moment. "I want to know why you turned to darkness and broke my mother's heart."

He swallowed. She'd given him what he'd asked for. It was definitely more specific. And he would answer. For her, even though he couldn't have done it for himself. "I was afraid."

"Fear doesn't turn you into a monster," she said with some consternation.

"Yes, it can," he disagreed quietly, "It can make you desperate, and in that desperation, agree to things you would never agree to under normal circumstances."

"What made you that afraid?" she asked.

"I dream of the future, though 'nightmare' is probably closer to the truth, at least what I see most of the time. The night before the Borg came, I dreamt that the whole of Imperial Center, every being, was bound in chains."

She was quiet for a moment. "You had a dream about my mother?"

"I dreamed, the very night after she'd told me she was pregnant, that she would die in childbirth," he said, then after a moment he asked, "Did she die? Is Padmé alive somewhere?"

"No," Leia said sadly, "I think my father would've told me if she were still alive."

His chest constricted again, at her reference to Bail Organa as her father, and he could barely choke out the words, "You don't have any memories of her?"

"Actually yes, I do," she said.

"What do you remember of her?"

"I was very young, but it was before I was separated from Luke. I more remember feelings, more than images or sounds. I know she was very sad."

"How old is 'very young'?"

"I don't really know."

"I see," he said, pausing for a moment. "I think you deserve more specifics than what I've given you on what happened. I met your mother when I was nine…" Vader pushed passed the pain of those happy memories to share them with his daughter.


	8. Preparation

**AN: I apologize for not getting this up earlier, but I now have six writing projects I'm working on, three I'm hoping I can sell, and three for here. As such I need to be fair to all of them, so while I wish I could promise it won't be as long until the next chapter, I can't make that promise. Rest assured though that chapter's for my other stories are coming. Thanks to everyone who's taken time to review this and my other stories.**

Leia sat in Vader's quarters aboard the shuttle. He had started telling her his story, and once he'd started talking and gotten involved in the telling, he had turned to face her. She tried not to let her reaction show, but she understood why he hadn't wanted to show his face to her. His scars were extensive, and looked to be painful even now. She listened, and, once Vader had started talking he didn't stop; in fact she had to slow him down at times. It was like he'd been holding this story in for so long that it had built up pressure and now that he was telling it no force could stop him from finishing. Even more astonishing was the fact that he'd broken down into tears on several occasions. She understood, of course, that happening when talking about her mother, but it was more curious when he was talking about General Kenobi. She knew little about the old Order, but as he told the story, she began to realize that Obi-Wan Kenobi was the closest thing to a father Vader had ever had.

"…and he said to me as I lay on the searing face of the volcano, 'You were the Chosen One! It was said you would destroy the Sith, not join them. You were supposed to bring balance to the Force, not leave it in Darkness!' and I told him that I hated him…it was and wasn't true at the time. Then he said, 'You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you!'," Vader told her, his eyes so expressive, sad, but there were other things there as well.

"And that was how you wound up needing the suit?" Leia asked, for the first time really feeling sorry for her father, most of the pain he had endured was of his own making, yet it was still a tragic story.

"Yes…the damage is quite extensive," Vader said, then there was a knock at the door.

"Enter," Vader commanded.

"I didn't hear any screaming or anything so I didn't disturb you, but there's something beeping in the cockpit now. I think we're nearing our destination," Latan said.

* * *

Luke woke up to Obi-Wan shaking him. "Come, young one, it's time to get started on your training."

"Breakfast?" he asked hopefully.

"That would be acceptable."  
Luke threw a shirt on, and buckled a belt around his waist, and he was ready to go. "I spent some time with Han last night before I went to sleep."

"And what did the two of you talk about?"

"Not much, but we restored Threepio's memory. And he had the most fascinating things to say about my parents," Luke said, putting his boots on and following Ben off to the dining area.

"Such as?" Ben asked as he gathered a simple breakfast of fruit and a glass of blue milk.

The story started tumbling out of him, and it surprised both of them with the impassioned intensity Luke had for his parents' plight.

* * *

Grand Admiral Osvald Teshik strode onto the bridge of the HIMS _Whelm_. He looked over the bridge of his flagship and smiled; all was at ready. It was a pleasure to command the well-run machine that was his fleet. He'd been running drills ever since arriving at Imperial Center orbit. The entire system had been locked down and orbital control turned over to the military. Ordinarily Teshik would've met with his sovereign in person; however, the immediacy of the emergency had required the expediency of a remote conference. Teshik didn't mind this. He'd hoped the distance had helped mask his fear, he knew the capabilities of what they were getting ready to face and his orders only made an impossible job worse.

Yet, he had his orders, hence the exercises and the upcoming meeting with General Anton Vicks, the commander of Teshik's ground forces. The Emperor wanted the Death Star taken back if at all possible, which meant they had to try to do so, while keeping whoever had taken over the mobile battle station from destroying Imperial Center out of hand, thus crippling the Empire and throwing the galaxy into turmoil. Once he was in a turbolift alone, he allowed himself to sigh. This would not be easy, he only hoped that General Vicks had a plan that had a chance at succeeding. Teshik just didn't see how that could be done before the OpForce used the Death Star on Imperial Center itself and thereby making the whole defense moot. The problem, from a naval perspective, was that as soon as the Death Star came out of hyperspace, it would be in firing range, if not position. The fact that the Death Star would probably need several hours to aim its superlaser was the only good thing Teshik could see from this. In his own head he once again cursed the creation of the battle station; for the same cost the Empire could've had nearly 125 _Exalted_-class Star Destroyers that his flag ship belonged to, or even more _Imperial II_-class Star Destroyers. Either option would've been preferable just from a tactical flexibility standpoint. Then there was the real purpose of the Death Star—it had been built to kill worlds. This was the reason he never thought of the Death Star as anything but an it, he would NEVER honor the abomination with the pronoun 'she'. That honor belonged to warships that fought honorably for honorable goals, not for planet-sized monstrosities who's sole purpose was the destruction of whole worlds. He could never see such a fate being justified, no matter how much of a nuisance a world made itself.

He sighed again just as the turbolift reached its destination. He proceeded down the hall, then turned right, entering the _Whelm_'s flag bridge. His staff was already there, working hard. He could sense the stress they were under, indeed, he was under the same stress. The battle they were preparing for would not be easy. General Vicks came up to him.

"How are you holding up Oz?" Vicks asked. The question didn't surprise Teshik, Vicks had been a close friend for years, ever since Teshik had assumed command of this fleet.

"As well as you are, I suspect Anton. This is a hell of a situation isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Did you sleep well?"

"I slept, but only because discipline forced me to; my mind isn't as foggy as it was six hours ago."

"Good, because we're going to need it. Half the staff should be in their racks now," he said with a sweep of his arm. The flag bridge was littered with datapads and flimsiplast and the schematics of the Death Star were pulled up on the central holographer, "I've kept these here to brief you on what we've come up with on the ground campaign."

"Don't you mean boarding op?" Teshik asked with a raised eyebrow.

Vicks shook his head, "No, as we've looked at our mission we've realized that it really isn't a boarding operation at all, it's a planetary invasion. We've in fact pulled up the counter-insurgency plans for Sullust as a starting point."

"Why Sullust, and keep the words small remember I'm not a shellback."

Vicks smiled at his friend, "Don't worry Oz, I'll keep the vocabulary to a point that even a squishy space slug like you can keep up."

Teshik patted Vicks on the back, "Good man."

They walked over to the holographer, and Vicks started imputing commands to bring up the map of Sullust, and setting the two side by side, "Basically we chose there to start because the situation is similar. The Sullustans have extensive caverns on their home world. The Death Star is similar, if not as random as natural cave formations. Bottom line it gives the OpForce a lot of places to hide."

"What kind of OpForce estimates have you made?"

"Well, what ever invaded the Death Star had to do so with overwhelming force to actually take over the station like they seem to have. I really wish Governor Tarkin had spent more time talking about the nature of the enemy then bellyaching over Vader," Vicks groused.

"Can't be helped. You know that when we get this high in the military, we all turn into politicians. Even me."

"Well, you are at least honest about it. I don't think he even admits to himself that he is almost totally in the realm of politics."

"He did outline what had happened, even if most of it included snide remarks about Vader."

"The kind of things he was saying don't make sense, though. Converting our troops to their side?"

"I don't like that part, either. The small bit of the battle on the Bridge of the Death Star that we saw was just rampant death and destruction, though. Didn't get a good look at the enemy either, but they were using some kind of disintegration beams, to all appearances. We really don't have a whole lot of information to go on."

Teshik stroked his chin as he thought, and Vicks began summoning the officers over to go over details and aspects of the plan that they were working on.

* * *

Mon Mothma was furious. The Emperor had heaped this latest and greatest outrage on the galaxy. The news that the Senate was to be disbanded 'for the duration of the emergency' had been a gut shot. However, hearing about Leia's ship being destroyed was worse. Mon Mothma was positive the reports were lies, but that didn't mean that Leia's fate would be all that different. She continued packing her stuff, it would be good to go home, even if the reason for the return was a poor one. She sighed as she thought about Leia. She really needed to contact Bail and offer her condolences, but she'd been busy clearing out her office and apartment. She was one of the lucky ones, her planet was providing transport for her home, though many of the ex-senators were not so fortunate. It seemed that the notion had gotten around that supporting a former senator was not good for a given planet's long term health.

Then there was a chime at the door. She went to it and was surprised to see one of her aides there.

"Yes, Syelis?"

"Madam Senator, I bring grave tidings. All traffic to and from Imperial Center has been suspended pending a naval exercise," Syelis said. He was a Chandra Fan and had been her aid since the Clone Wars, his fur was a mottled brown and hadn't been brushed in days, a sign that Syelis was worried. He was normally very fastidious over his appearance.

"Naval exercise?" Mon Mothma repeated dumbfounded, naval exercises were usually an euphemism for a battle, but who would be attacking Imperial Center? No one had been that audacious since General Grievous did it nineteen years ago. No one had the naval power to launch such an attack, at least not without the Empire knowing about it. Confusion swam through Mon Mothma's mind.

"I know, it is unthinkable that someone would attack Imperial Center," Syelis said jolting her out of her thoughts.

"Who?" she asked.

"I have no idea, Madam Senator. There is a complete news blackout. In fact, the news outlets are all running a story about the Emperor's twirrl," Syelis said.

"This is not good, my friend."

"Even the back channels are quiet."

"I knew we weren't behind it, we aren't to that point yet."

Syelis nodded. "Is there anything you require, Madam Senator?"

"Bail," she said, and to her aide's confused look, she added, "I need to contact Viceroy Organa of Alderaan to offer my condolences to the report that the _Tantive IV _was destroyed with all hands aboard. I believe his daughter was aboard."

He bowed to her. "At once, Madam Senator. If you would come to the communications room when you are ready, I will raise him." With that she was alone.

She looked at the boxes that had been arranged on her bed, and she sighed, putting the cover on another one. She finished packing a second box, then decided that Syelis must have gotten a hold of Bail by that point, and left to attend her communications.

* * *

The Death Star flew through hyperspace, and while it was in hyperspace, the beings that inhabited it were steadily being converted to the hive mind of the Borg. Some resisted, but it was, as the Borg had stated from the outset, futile. _Assimilation of all crew aboard this vessel will be complete before arrival at planet with hyperspace designation 0-0-0. Estimate that there will be 60 opposing starships with the most advanced being _Exalted-_class Star Destroyers, catalogued as Technology A-15739. Shielding will be in place at the time that the ship reverts from hyperspace. Damage estimates are minimal to none. Work on creation of warp coil is progressing. Dilithium crystals used to power the primary weapon have been removed and are being re-amplified. Simulations suggest that the use of warp technology is possible within hyperspace. Testing of this theory will begin in smaller craft capable of holding both warp core and hyperdrive. Smallest suitable craft is a _Lambda_-class T-4a shuttle, Technology A-15854. Modified small warp coil can be constructed in 1.9 days. Testing drone will be drone 145 of 1000. Search parties designated for the landing craft available and will be sent to search 20 identified natural orbital bodies. Secondary and tertiary targets for search parties D-1-D-20 assigned. Assimilation teams A-1-C-60 assigned. Estimate that 30% of transporters will be complete upon arrival. Planetary assimilation teams P-1-P-1000 designated and will be sent upon final transport of orbital ship teams. Absorption of Imperial Center into the collective estimated to take 15 standard days. Measurements of Imperial Center rotation are within .5% of Earth rotation. Assimilation teams A-1-C-60 will be send to other worlds with their assimilated technology. Compiling list of targets…Kamino will be the target of the first 5 assimilation teams that are ready to leave. Other systems will receive 1 team each … Axum… Pizkoss… Alderaan… Chandrila … Corellia… Nopces Prime… Kamparas… Duro… Danteel… Z'fell… Farrfin… Hatawa… Humbarine… Illodia… Kuat… Spira… Tinnel IV… Sestria… Widek…_

* * *

Latan sat in the copilot's seat as Vader reverted their craft from hyperspace to realspace. The emergency shields were still down, obstructing any possible view, but this didn't seem to bother Vader. Latan, on the other hand, really wanted a view of Alderaan. He hadn't asked for information concerning the planet they were landing on, and now didn't seem like an appropriate time to make up for his lack of foresight.

"Shall we land at Aldera?" Vader asked, and Leia got a wistful look on her face.

Leia hesitated a moment, then said, "Yes," she reached over, inputting a coded sequence in the keypad. "The approach across the lake is standard."

"Bail will meet us?"

She nodded. "I think he will be anxious to see that I'm safe."

"We have a priority here to warn the Capital of the danger that the Borg present."

Leia seemed torn at the thought, "Will it even do any good?"

"I do not know."

"Well, at least you're being honest."

"I do not recall having ever lied to you about anything."

Leia thought for a moment. "No, I don't suppose you have," she hesitated. "I'm sorry."

Vader seemed uncomfortable with her apology, or with her, and turned his full attention to the piloting of the craft.

* * *

Bail was about to enter the room that he'd set aside for the use of the Jedi when one of the palace guards approached him. "The Princess will be landing in the capital in about half an hour. We just got word that her code was used to pass security. She's headed for Aldera, but there has been no indication as to whether she intends to land in the city or at the Palace."

"Well, then," he chimed the room, and the door opened. "Leia has just indicated that she will be landing soon."

* * *

Obi-Wan stood perfectly still on the outside, the very picture of a calm, collected Jedi Master. On the inside, he was an absolute wreck. He got a slightly strange look from Luke, meaning he really hadn't bled enough of his emotions off into the Force for Luke not to pick up the disquiet he was experiencing, but he could really do no better than he was doing. The thought of seeing Anakin again really didn't sit well with him, but he couldn't let Luke face Anakin, Vader alone, and Luke wouldn't hear of staying behind while Bail met the ship.

Obi-Wan would have liked it more at that particular moment if Luke was a bit less like his parents, but he knew that was just a spice dream. Luke might be able to hide it better than Anakin had, but his stubborn streak was just as long and just as wide, and was going to be just as much of a pain in the choobies as his father's had been.

A _Lambda_-class shuttle came into view, its wings down. The shuttle had taken some damage, as the emergency shield was down over where there should have been transparisteel. The shuttle hovered for a moment, then the wings began to fold up, and the shuttle descended slowly onto the landing pad. There was a tense silence as the shuttle's engines wound down, and the moment seemed to stretch into forever.

It really wasn't that long until the shuttle's ramp began to lower from just below the cockpit, but the anxiety level of everyone there was high. Once it was all the way down and had locked into place, there was no sound, and it felt like everyone was holding their breath. The first thing that Obi-Wan saw was a pair of black boots, and a floor-length cape swirling behind them.

Vader emerged slowly, and by the time that he was halfway down, he could see that Leia was behind him, moving under her own power, it appeared. Vader ducked his head to come out from under the ship, and it was shocking, still, to see him in person. Leia looked around, seeing who was there, but stayed close to Vader, who had stopped a few meters from the ship. There was a third passenger disembarking, a strange looking being with no hair, and who was obviously a cyborg.

It was hard to look at Vader and know how he got in the condition that he was in. Their eyes locked, and Obi-Wan was surprised at the state of Vader's armor—his mask, anyway. It looked like it had been smashed in, and there were a couple of small, but discernable cracks in the eye shields. He tried very hard to remember to breathe. Vader walked up to him, while Leia went and hugged her father. "We have our differences, Obi-Wan, but now is not the time to attempt to resolve them," Vader told him finally after having stood there for a few long moments.

"While I appreciate that you aren't turning to violence immediately upon seeing me, may I ask what task is so pressing?" Obi-Wan finally choked out.

The strange being accompanying Vader and Leia stepped forward, "I believe that I can best explain that," it said.

"Who…what are you?" Luke asked.

"I am Lieutenant Mario Latan, former tactical officer of the USS _Saratoga_. I was assimilated by the Borg at the battle of Wolf 359 fifteen years ago."

"There isn't any ship in the Imperial Navy called _Saratoga_," Obi-Wan said.

"The _Saratoga_ was a Federation starship, _Miranda_ class. She was lost at the battle of Wolf 359, along with forty other Starfleet vessels. Over 4,000 of my fellow officers were killed or assimilated. Now they are here and they are headed for the capital world of your Empire."

"It's not our Empire!" Luke blurted.

"Easy Luke," Obi-Wan admonished the younger Skywalker, and Luke hung his head a little. He was quite excitable this day, but that was to be expected. This was the first time that he was able to meet his family.

"The entire galaxy is at stake. If we do not act quickly then there will be nothing left," Vader said.

Obi-Wan nodded; Latan's presence spoke volumes, Obi-Wan had never seen anything like him, or heard of anything like him.. "In that case, we have much to do," he agreed. "But first, please allow me to introduce you to your son, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, intentionally using his former Padawan's name.

"That name no longer has any meaning for me, old man," Vader said.

Obi-Wan shook his head disbelievingly, and let the matter drop, "Very well, Vader, shall we retire to someplace more comfortable? We have much to catch up on apparently," Obi-Wan said.

Leia brought her adoptive father closer to their little group after greeting him and letting him fuss over her a bit. Obi-Wan could feel that she was as anxious to get to know her brother as her father was. "We can use the palace, so long as everyone promises not to mar the furniture with lightsaber burns," Bail said, obviously trying to ease the tension.

"I see the years have not dulled your sense of humor after all, Viceroy," Vader said.

"I didn't think you would appreciate it any more, Lord Vader," Bail said as they walked, his voice a diplomatic mask. Obi-Wan could sense the tension in him, indeed, in all of them. They arrived quickly to the palace and headed to one of the many sitting rooms. Obi-Wan watched the strange creature that called itself Latan. It would be interesting to learn more about him. They entered the room and everyone sat down.

"We must contact Imperial Center and warn the Emperor about the Borg and the threat they represent," Vader began without preamble.

"What threat do they represent exactly?" Bail asked.

"They are a race of cyborgs, Viceroy, is it? You folks in this galaxy have it big on royalty," the Latan creature said.

"We used to be a representative Republic," Bail said.

"As fascinating the history lesson would be, Viceroy, we don't have time for it. The Death Star will be at Imperial Center far earlier than any of your military professionals will believe possible. The Borg are very efficient and will have that monstrosity at its true maximum speed very quickly."

"What's a Death Star?" Luke asked.

"It's a battle station, one the Empire built to destroy whole worlds," Leia answered.

"What?!" Luke shouted, "And it's headed to Imperial Center? Trillions will be killed!"

"The Borg won't use the Death Star to destroy the planet. They will assimilate it. The Borg assimilate cultures they find…interesting, or ones they find to be a threat. In this case it's both."

"What do you mean by assimilate?" Han asked from the door, with Chewbacca next to him. "Or was this a private party?"

"Han, come on in," Luke said.

"Yes, Captain Solo, join us. What we are discussing affects the entire galaxy, apparently," Bail said.

"Ok, now is the walking junk yard going to answer my question?"

Latan smiled a little, "You are going to be refreshing, Captain Solo. What I mean by assimilate is that they will be made into Borg, like me, only they will be slaved to the Collective, just as I was until Vader kindly freed me from it."

"Slaved to the Collective?" Luke asked.

"The Borg are a hive mind, the individuals that make it up are mere drones, no individuality can be expressed. Indeed, for those born in the Collective they have no sense of self at all."

"Sounds horrible," Luke said.

"It is, and now that they have assimilated the Death Star, at least partly, they'll have the numbers to assimilate Imperial Center in a timely manner, unless we can effect the destruction of the Death Star before any drones can beam off of it. That is the best way to ensure the safety of this galaxy."

"I must now contact the Emperor and inform him of all of this. I doubt Tarkin did," Vader said then.

"Very well, this room will serve for that purpose, though it will take several minutes to ready," Bail said.

* * *

Grand Admiral Osvald Teshik frowned at the plot their preparations for the coming battle weren't even a quarter of the way complete and they were rapidly running out of time. He'd hoped to get more ships here, a lot more. Especially the _Interdictor_ cruisers, they were critical to the plan, they would be needed to stop the Death Star short of firing range of the capital. The problem was that they were still three days out. Fortunately, estimates said that where the Death Star transmitted from was at least 5 days away at its best speed. But that gave them precious little time to drill together. Teshik took a bottle out of his pocket and took a swig of the liquid inside.

"Stomach bothering you again, Oz?" General Anton Vicks asked looking at his superior.

Osvald grimaced. "Yes…I'll be fine, once this is done."

"You sure?"

"Yes, now focus on your job and not on mothering me," Teshik said, making a shooing motion to his ground commander, speaking to him in a not unfriendly tone, then raised his voice so the rest of the staff could hear, "Now let's review this once more. We are hoping that the Death Star is on a least-time course for Imperial Center, since we don't have near enough ships to cover all possible courses, we've stationed ourselves out here where we hope to use our _Interdictors_ to stop the battle station so we'll be able to board it out here. Once the station arrives we will launch General Vicks' landing teams. The station isn't shielded like a conventional starship—it's too big—so only critical areas are shielded. Don't think this will make our job any easier. The station is the most heavily armed and armored object in space. Our job will be to destroy the station if the General fails to secure control of the station in forty-eight hours. If that comes to pass we will begin by targeting the superlaser…" Teshnik continued outlining the plans of battle, then dismissed his staff to get some much-needed rest.

"Have you eaten, yet Oz?" Vicks asked.

"No, I won't be able to until this is over. I thought we were done fighting, Anton, but if we have to fight I'm glad it is an invader and not insurrectionists."

"I know what you mean. Come to the galley though, you need something on your gut. The last thing we need is you passing out from low blood sugar."

"Maybe a drink, the least I can do for a friend I'm getting ready to send into the jaws of death."

"Gee, Oz, no need to be so cheerful on the eve of battle," Vicks said patting his friend on the shoulder as they headed for the officer's mess.

* * *

Anakin sat in one of Bail Organa's many palatial rooms, completely unsure as to what he should do. On the one hand, he was sitting with hated enemies—Bail Organa, who was at least a Rebel Sympathizer, if not outright member; his daughter, who he had captured on a mission for the Rebellion; Obi-Wan Kenobi, famed Jedi with a bounty on his head, for the unfortunate circumstance of being a Jedi; Han Solo, who seemed to be a smuggler of some sort. On the other hand, there was his daughter and son, twin legacy of the life he had left behind when he had become a Sith, and Latan, a being who represented the greatest threat that the galaxy had ever seen.

He did feel an obligation to tell the Emperor what he knew. Whether he would allow the Empire to do what it needed to do in order to survive, Vader was uncertain. Palpatine didn't particularly care about anyone except himself, unless it furthered his goals to do so. "The connection to Imperial Center is secured," a young technician said as the silence of wary enemies pervaded the room.

"We will leave your task," Bail said and started to get up.

"It will not be necessary for everyone to leave. If we must be in this together, we must trust each other, on a professional level, at least."

Bail nodded and settled back into his seat, nodding to the technician, who brought the large holographic projector that had risen in the center of the room to life. A moment or two later, the Emperor came on-screen. "Where are you, Lord Vader?"

"Alderaan—my shuttle has taken damage, I was forced to land here. I have troubling news."

"What's that?"

"There is a new threat to the Galaxy, and it seems to have not originated here. It is called the Borg."

The image of the Emperor fuzzed out before he could respond, and a different voice came through the hologram, "We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender. Your biological uniqueness will be added to our own. Your cultures will serve and augment our own. Resistance is futile."

The 'greeting' of the Borg began to repeat, and Bail got up and started flipping through the channels of the HoloNet. Anything with a broadcast originating on Imperial Center was playing the same message.

"How long should it have taken for the Death Star to reach Imperial Center?" asked Luke, the first person to shake themselves from the shock of hearing the message of the Borg.

Vader thought for a brief second, calculating. "Fifteen days, approximately. The relative distance between Horuz and Coruscant and Horuz and Alderaan is negligible, but the Death Star's hyperdrive is only rated at a Class 4. We flew in my shuttle which has a Class 1 and that only took three-and-a-half days. They should still be at least ten days out, and that would be pushing the hyperdrive harder than it should be."

Latan spoke up then. "I told you they would be able to get that thing there fast."

"And so you are proven right. Now we must figure out how to fight them effectively," Vader said.

Latan stared at the blue fuzz that should have been showing something—anything—for a long moment, " I'll help however I can, but all of you need to understand this; you've already lost the first battle of what's going to be a very long war."


	9. Coruscant

**AN: Sorry about the wait on this. This chapter was held up by writer's block on my story Changes on the Hellmouth and life. This chapter was a fun one to write and once I got started on it, it went really fast. ENJOY!**

* * *

Teshik stared in horror and awe of the Death Star. It was a magnificent engineering achievement but it was also in enemy hands. The eerie, mechanical sounding voice being broadcast from it sent cold chills of fear down his spine. In spite of this his orders were clear and forceful.

"General Vicks, begin landing operations immediately. They seem to be jamming all communication channels outside of the ship so you'll be out of comm when you leave the ship," Teshik told his friend.

"Aye sir, good hunting," Vicks' voice sounded out of Teshik's comm.

"You too, Anton," Teshik said and closed the connection. "Begin covering fire for the landing force, Captain." Teshik said to the _Whelm's _master before the Emperor.

"Yes, sir."

Teshik then turned his attention to the Leftenant at the ships communication station.

"Any luck getting through their jamming?" Teshik asked.

"No sir, it's on all channels and the power output...it's nearly off the charts sir," the young officer said.

"Not surprising, given how much power the Death Star has available," Teshik said.

"I've just finished checking all of the standard frequencies, sir. They've got them all jammed."

"Keep trying," Teshik said, patting the young man on the shoulder. He headed over to gunnery control when the power went out.

"Commander?" Teshik asked the officer at the Internal Security station.

"I don't know sir, internal com went down at the same time as the lights," the Commander said.

Teshik asked headed for the window and gasped, the entire fleet that had been covering the landing operation were not firing anymore.

"Commander, gather as many storm troopers as you can, and head to engineering. Orders are to repel boarders," Teshik said.

"Sir? No boarding craft have been detected," the Commander said.

"I gave you an order Commander, I expect you to carry it out," Teshik snapped.

"Aye, SIR!" the commander said, coming to attention then scrambling to obey.

"Captain, see to it personal arms are issued and I apologize for overstepping," Teshik said to the captain of his ship.

"Apology accepted, Admiral," the Captain said, then turned to his XO. "Personal arms are to be issued, Mr. Kriston."

"Aye sir!" the ships XO replied.

No sooner than he did reply a sick green light flashed on the bridge, Teshik turned only to be face with a being out of a nightmare, and it was wearing the face of a stormtrooper.

* * *

Mon Mothma stared at the Death Star hanging low in the sky from her apartment balcony. The winds had shifted from their normal pattern, reacting to the tidal forces the Death Star was producing on the planet. The battle station hung in the southeast sky, having just risen, in the hour that she had been watching it, it had gone from where she could hide it with her thumb, to now where her whole hand was just barely able to hide it.

The wind had gotten stronger in that period of time as well as the battle station's gravity pulled on Coruscant's atmosphere. She hadn't been able to transmit out, the outgoing transmission were completely unavailable.

"Any information as to why the Emperor has that thing here? It just doesn't make sense? How are they going to cover THIS up?" she asked.

"I have no idea, ma'am. It is out of character, though," Syelis said.

"I'll say it is, and I thought I had dismissed everyone," she said.

"Everyone has gone to their families, ma'am just as you ordered."

"Then why are you still here?" she asked.

"Because, my family is here," Syelis said quietly.

"What are you saying, Syelis?" she asked, confused.

"You are my family, ma'am. I've been in love with you for a very long time," he said.

"You....Syelis....why didn't you say anything?" she said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I thought it would be inappropriate, and that you'd dismiss me. I wouldn't have been able to take that. I'm your aide, I'm not your equal. I'm not worthy to love you."

"Why would you think something like that?" she asked.

"You're a Senator! I started out doing droid work. I was overjoyed when you picked me to be your aide, at first for the job, then later as I grew to know you...for other reasons. Forgive me my impure thoughts, ma'am," he said, blushing.

"Impure...Syelis...come here," she said, feeling more than slightly flustered at his sudden declarations of love and desire.

He came over to her and she took his hands into hers, and looked into his violet eyes and said, "My only regret with what you've told me is that you...or I, for that matter, didn't say it sooner." She kissed his forehead, then his lips.

"Ma'am...I've long dreamed of this..."

"Call me Cle'este, Syelis...I love you," she said.

"Cle'este...it is an honor..."

"Why did you tell me now?" she said.

"Because...I don't think we are going to survive to see another sunrise," he said.

* * *

Vicks watched as the Death Star swelled in the shuttle's cockpit window. So far this operation was going as well as expected, given the Death Star's early arrival. He turned to the men in the back, a full platoon and longed for communications. He should be giving last minute encouragement to the troopers, not that the clones were supposed to need such things.

Still, Vicks had found that it helped, they may be clones, but they were still men. He was about to speak when the coxswain shouted, "General, the fleets covering fire has stopped!"

"What?!" he exclaimed in shock, then said, "There's something wrong."

His fears were confirmed when one of the shuttles turned from its approach to the Death Star.

"Begin jamming, the Op Force is taking control of our ships somehow," Vicks ordered.

"Aye, sir, setting com channels to jamming," the petty officer said. Vicks patted the coxswain on the shoulder then turned back to the men only to see six...cyborgs materialize out of a sick green glow, they immediate attacked the nearest of the stormtroopers and...disintegrated them. The remaining stormtroopers opened fire on the boarders then, only to have their shots absorbed by a semi transparent, hexagonal energy barrier.

The cyborgs themselves moved methodically attacking troopers another six troopers were disintegrated.

"You bastards!" Vicks shouted as his fired his side arm at the intruders, which was as ineffective as the larger weapons the rest of the platoon was using. For the first time since word of the Death Star's take over had arrived, his confidence slipped and he realized that Oz was right to be worried. This was no normal enemy.

"Coxswain, we have been compromised, set scuttling charges!" Vick ordered and the cybernetic zombies kept coming. One stormtrooper pulled a non-issue combat knife and plunged it into the neck of one of the boarders, and it went down in a spasm. For his success the intruder behind the freshly killed one disintegrated him.

Vicks wondered at the advance technology they showed and was curious why they resorted to melee attacks to kill, the the coxswain interrupted his thoughts.

"Scuttling charges set...correction they just shut down...controls just died, all instruments are black," the coxswain reported.

"Damnit!" Vicks shouted, then another stormtrooper was disinter grated, this one was close enough for Vick to see the method of attack, tubes extending from the ventral side of the boarder's wrist...then it hit him...the disintegration...they looked identical to the light the boarders came out of...they weren't being killed, they were being....transported...which meant...

The color drained from Vicks face as he realized what they were doing...he lifted his side arm to his head, and closed his eyes but before he could pull the trigger he felt a prick on his neck.

***

Palpatine was getting angry, first these half-droid abominations steal his pride and joy, then they have the AUDACITY to come to HIS capital world and demand HIS surrender? Just who did these people think they were? Did they not know who they were dealing with?

His thoughts were interrupted by a voice.

"Your Highness, they've started landing troops," the General said, Palpatine didn't know or care about his name.

"How, General...you had orders to shoot down any landing craft!" Only a twinge of curiosity as to how the incompetent worm would answer this question kept Palpatine from ending his life right there.

"They don't seem to be using landing craft my liege...and they are killing civilians, disintegrating them!"

"Commander...take this mewling babe out of my sight," Palpatine said to the head of his Royal guard. Then a storm trooper came into Palpatine's thrown room.

"Your Highness, the enemy has breached the palace, we have to get you out of here!"

"Why aren't your men stopping them?"

"Our weapons are completely ineffective, sire. You MUST come. If the Empire is to survive, you must!"

"Yes...no point in throwing my life away in a useless gesture," Palpatine said, his old shrewdness showing. In the years since his victory over the Jedi he had found that holding on to power was far more taxing than acquiring it. So many that he depended on in his rise to this position were now the ones he had to watch most carefully. Alas this was the way of things, the way of the Sith.

However, this invader was something new, it couldn't be manipulated, or at least not that he could find yet. It was difficult to negotiate when all the other side said was, "Prepare for assimilation," whatever THAT meant. The First Emperor of The Known Galaxy rose from his throne and went down to meet the stormtroopers that would take him to safety.

Before they could leave, though, the room echoed with a soft hum-hiss and filled with a sick green light, and dozens of enemy troops surrounded Palpatine and his escort. The Royal Guard engaged the enemy with their Force Pikes, and quickly felled half the enemies forces, only to have twice the number they'd killed appear before them. These proved far tougher as their Force Pikes bounced off an energy shield and one of the cyborgs knocked them aside with the heavy attachment that was its right arm.

The stormtroopers all fell to a knee encircling their Emperor and began firing and Palpatine felt the first cold shiver of fear as the stormtroopers blaster fire was absorbed by the energy shields the enemy were somehow generating. Palpatine focused and turned his fear into hatred and sick, dark lightning erupted from his finger tips and ripped into every being in the room that was not him. The Stormtroopers and Royal guard fell fast, the enemy cyborgs took a few seconds longer then collapsed in a heap.

"Try to kill me, do they. They will PAY for this!" Palpatine said as he headed for the exit of his throne room. Before he reached it though it opened and hundreds of the cybernetic beings filed in. Palpatine marshaled his rage and blasted out with his Force lightning. It took longer to take out the leading elements, but they went down, twitching. The next line simply stepped over their fallen comrades, and Palpatine fell back from the door, blasting out with more lightning, this time it was totally ineffective and on they came, relentless, their faces pale white, the red targeting beams landed on him.

Palpatine ignited his lightsaber and launched himself at the Borg, in his first slash he took off ten of their heads, the drones were packed so closely together. He swung again, taking out five more, finding the blade slowed by their shielding. They pressed near him and then he felt it a slight prick on his neck. Through the Force he could feel the invaders enter his body, he tried to use it to neutralize them, but they were replicating far faster than he could shut them off. He then felt a tingling sensation and he was no longer in his throne room, he was in an alcove and was paralyzed. Then he started hearing it in his head...the same voice that announced its presence over Imperial Center. The voice of the Collective and for the first time in his life, Palpatine, Emperor of the Known Galaxy screamed...and found no sound left his throat.

* * *

Teshik listened with a heavy heart to his men fighting a losing battle for their ship. He had given up trying to direct the Naval side of things a couple of hours ago, with no communications and the other ships in the fleet obviously undergoing similar boarding operations, what was the point? Imperial Naval resistance was now limited to repelling boarders that seemed to only increase in numbers. It was becoming depressingly clear that holding the ship was rapidly becoming unviable.

"Admiral Teshik?" Captain Jouran said, interrupting Teshik's thoughts.

"Yes, Captain," Teshik replied.

"I hate to have to say this, but I fear the situation is now untenable and we will lose the ship."

"I see...regulations are clear on this matter. We cannot allow the invaders to have our ships. Prepare the self destruct, Captain, while we still can," Teshik ordered. He sighed as the Captain left to carry out what would probably be Teshik's last orders.

The Grand Admiral went back to listening to the ongoing, decidedly one sided battle. Reports of enemy losses were distressingly few and far between, while his own losses were rapidly approaching numbers that the human mind simply couldn't visualize. He longed to be able to say goodbye to his wife, but that was impossible with the communications being jammed.

"The self-destruct is now set, sir. In five minutes Imperial Center will have a new sun for a few minutes," Captain Jouran said.

"Thank you Captain, that will be...Captain, do we still have helm control?" Teshik said, becoming animated for the first time in hours.

"I believe so, sir," Captain Jouran replied.

"Good...now if we just had a way of reaching the rest of the Fleet. The Death Star might be the most heavily armored battle station in the Galaxy, but I doubt even it can withstand the destructive power of a hyperdrive gone critical," Teshik said.

Captain Jouran's eyes went wide and he said, "Yes, Admiral it just might work!"

"Shame we can't communicate with the rest of the Fleet, but if they see us get underway they may just follow," Teshik said, then added, "Captain, make that destruct count down thirty minutes, and make our course for the Death Star, flank speed!"

"Aye, sir!" Captain Jouran said.

"They may take us down but we'll take a whole bunch of those bastards to hell with us!"

The _Whelm _accelerated from the fleet when he heard someone ask, "What is _Invictius _doing?"

"What do you mean, spacer?" Teshik asked the enlisted man,, then he saw and asked, what are they doing?"

A grizzled old Senior Chief came up to the Admiral, "Begging the Admirals pardon, but I should've thought of this when we lost communications, the _Invictius _is transmitting on what we referred to as Bandwith Zero during the Clone Wars, its a light code sir. It's slow, can't send much more than text, but it's perfectly secure, and virtually unjammable."

"Can you tell me what they are saying?"

"They are requesting orders, Admiral," the chief said.

"Very well, send to the Fleet, set self-destruct and set course for the Death Star, flank speed," Teshik ordered.

"Aye, sir! Sending to Fleet, set self-destruct and set course for the Death Star, flank speed!" the Chief repeated, and went to the weapons console, tapped a few keys. "Message sent, sir."

"I thought you said it was slow, Chief?"

"Not inputting, sir, light speed limit, it'll take almost a minute to reach the further ships, and unless they remember to compensate and predict our course they won't be able to respond, but it's better than nothing," the Chief replied.

The Death Star swelled in the bridge windows several minutes passed, then Teshik heard a soft hum-hiss and saw several of the invaders appear before him at different points on the bridge.

"Destroy all bridge controls!" Captain Jouran ordered and officers and enlisted men took their side arms to their stations, if some seemed a bit too pleased at blasting their work stations to slag...well so what.

Teshik fired at an intruder only to see his shot disappear into an energy shield unlike any he'd ever seen before. The being approached him and Teshik backed away, he saw several of the bridge personnel be disintegrated buy the enemies' odd melee attack...why would beings that had such technology use such an inefficient method of fighting? Then it hit him....they weren't killing, they were capturing. He couldn't order his men to commit suicide, but he hoped the officers at least would follow his lead, he put his side arm to his head and just before he could pull the trigger he felt a slight prick at the back of his neck....

* * *

Syelis and Cle'este Mon Mothma lay on the wide couch in the office warm in the afterglow of lovemaking. She smiled as she held her new lover. They hadn't said anything to each other for hours, then he broke the silence.

"I wonder why they haven't blown up the planet yet."

"Fine topic for pillow talk," she responded with humor in her voice.

"Considering it is the only reason we're having pillow talk, as you so quaintly put it, I think it highly appropriate....EEEKKKKK!" he said and then screeched out laughter as Mon Mothma took very unfair advantage of the closely guarded secret that she'd stumbled on in their first hour as lovers.

She grinned at him as he melted into helpless high pitch squeaks of laughter as she ruthlessly tickled his soft belly. She wondered that he was ticklish at all with his fur covering the apparently very sensitive skin. After a few minutes, she relented and let him catch his breath.

"It is so unfair...I never knew you were such a sadi....EEEIKKKKK!!" he said only to be interrupted by her tender ministrations of what she was rapidly becoming to think of as the Spot, this time she only tortured him for a few seconds.

"Skilled lover?" he said instead of what he had planned on.

"That's much kinder than what you were getting ready to say," she said her voice coy.

"Even if its..." a bright flash interrupted him, followed by several others. "What is that?"

The Chanda Fan rose from the mostly comfortable embrace of Mon Mothma and went to the balcony where he could see the Death Star.

"Have they fired?" she asked, suddenly business in spite of her present lack of clothes.

"I don't think so," he replied.

"Reason?"

"We aren't dead," he said simply. "Wait a minute...look down there! What are those things?"

Mon Mothma, with an uncharacteristic lack of modesty stepped out on the balcony with him and looked where he pointed and she saw some droid like beings seemingly starting to build something. Then the comm on her desk started going off, which was unexpected with the communication blackout imposed by whatever was going on. She went to it and saw several messages from friends and colleagues. She read each one and paled.

"What is it, Cle'este?" Syelis asked.

"We've been invaded, by an unknown force, they are rounding up and executing civilians and the Death Star is capturing any ship that tries to leave," she responded.

"How did they come through all of the sudden?"

"Those explosions...look at the Death Star..." she said looking at the menacing moon-sized battle station for the first time since rising from the couch.

"Battle damage...lots of it if we can see it here." He said.

"Those flashes? What kind of weapon does the Imperial Navy have that could do that and why wasn't it used before now?"

"I don't think it was a weapon. I think the Navy rammed the Death Star."

"And those flashes were..." she trailed off, not able to come to grips with such an honorable sacrifice from enemies.

"Their hyperdrives going critical. They must've done enough damage that whoever is in charge of the Death Star wasn't able to maintain the jamming."

As he finished another call came in, this from Senator Garm Bel Iblis, she took it, visually, forgetting her current lack of attire.

"Yes Garm?" she said.

"Mon Mothma...ahem...you should know, that the Death Star's tractor beam is off line and if you can at all get off the planet," he said.

"We'll leave right away, we'll meet on Alderaan. Bail needs to know about what is happening here," she said.

"I look forward to seeing you there," the former Senator said and closed the comm.

"I never realized you were such the...exhibitionist," Syelis said, with a chuckle.

"What do you...." she started then realized..."Oh you! Why didn't you SAY anything?" Mon Mothma blushed deeply.

"I thought I'd make it worse because he would have heard me," he said, getting dressed himself.

"I am NEVER going to live that down," she said.

"As you say, m'lady. But we need to get you off planet if at all possible now."

"Yes, you're right," she said, hurriedly dressing herself.

* * *

_Damage extensive...Sensors...offline...Transporters...offline...tractor beams...offline...weapons...offline...hyperdrive...offline...sublight drives...offline...warp engines...not yet functional...Regenerate...Regenerate...Regenerate...drones on planet 001 generate maturation chamber... continue assimilation of planet 001...Regenerate...Regenerate...Regeneration time estimated ten rotations of planet 001...Regenerate...Regenerate...Regenerate_

_Priority task change...Regenerate of Sphere 001...Priority 1...assimilation of planet 001...priority 2...construction of Cube 001...priority 3...Maturation of Queen...Priority 4...prerequisite not met for task...cube 001 must be completed._

_Regenerate...regenerate...regenerate._

_* * *_

Syelis ran through the corridors of the Senate Apartments as fast as his shorter legs would carry him. They were headed down to the landing bay where Mon Mothma's ship was. They only got down four levels before the started seeing the cybernetic beings that had invaded the Capital. They seemed to be rounding up people, stunning them with some kind of blaster that was on the large appendage and then doing something to their necks.

Syelis felt sick at the look of horror on the victims faces as they lurched after their captors, they seemed to be under some compulsion.

"Its awful," Mon Mothma a while.

"Yes it is, I wonder what they are doing with them?"

"I have no idea, but if the look on their faces is any indication, it can't be pleasant."

They moved swiftly, but stealthily through the corridors. There seemed to be an ever increasing number of the invading cyborgs moving through the hallways. Finally they came to the ship bay, only to find it FILLED with the invaders. They seemed to be putting up some kind of equipment. They all seemed busy with some kind of task.

"Not a very chatty bunch, are they?" Syelis asked.

"No they aren't. Telepathy?" Mon Mothma speculated.

"I doubt it, not with all of that hardware. It probably links them together somehow."

"How are we going to get to the ship?"

"That, my dear, is a very good question indeed."

Then one of the turbolift doors opened revealing a young human child, she was crying and seemed to be looking for something, or someone. To Mon Mothma's horror the little girl started going up to one of the cybernetic beings. Without thinking she darted from her hiding place and scooped up the little girl who screamed.

Mon Mothma ran for the turbolift imagining the whole room of invaders chasing her, then she heard Syelis's voice call out.

She stopped and turned around...the invader's were ignoring them. Totally ignoring them. Before she knew it she started laughing.

"Can you help me find my Mommy, crazy lady?" the little girl asked.

The question sent the dignified Senator into more peals of laughter as Syelis reached them.

"I think she's broken," the little girl said, her own sadness temporarily forgotten.

Syelis chuckled a little and said, "You don't know the half of it youngling."

Mon Mothma caught her breath during the exchange and said to Syelis, "Traitor." She then turned to the little girl and asked, "What happened to your mother, sweetie?"

"The metal men took her...she just went with them. I thought they might know where she is," the little girl said.

Syelis looked at Mon Mothma sadly and said, "Hers is not going to be an unique story, we should take her with us."

"What about my Mommy?"

"We'll do everything we can to help your Mommy, sweetie but first we need to get help."

"Mommy's in trouble?" the little girl started crying again.

"Sshhhh....sshhhhh...its going to be alright little one..." Mon Mothma cradled the child until she settled down.

"You're going for help?" she said between sniffles.

"Yes, we are, we have friends that will be able to help," Mon Mothma said.

"Ok...I want to help Mommy if she's in trouble."

"That's a good girl, now come on."

"We better hurry, we don't know how long that things tractor beams will be down," Syelis said.

"Yes...we better."

They started moving toward the bay that held the _Star of Chandra, _Mon Mothma's personal transport. The bay the ship was stored in was about half way through. Once they reached it they were dismayed to see two of the cybernetic being near the gangway. They seemed to be scanning it, but Mon Mothma couldn't be sure.

"This day sure has had its ups and downs." Mon Mothma said.

"Yes it has, but I don't think that kind of talk is appropriate around young ears, m'lady," Syelis whispered into Mon Mothma's ear.

"You are very ill behaved, you realize," she responded trying to be stern and failing as she remembered just WHAT he was referring to.

"It's a personal failing," he said, not sounding the least bit apologetic.

The two beings then went around to the rear of the ship.

"Now's our chance!" Syelis said. They ran with Syelis holding the child's hand...there hadn't been time to get her name. They got almost to the ramp when Mon Mothma tripped, Syelis started to slow and Mon Mothma said, "Get her on board, I'm fine!"

Syelis obeyed and rushed up the ramp with the little girl, sat her in a seat, and said, "Stay."

He then ran back to the ramp and saw Mon Mothma starting up the ramp, then to his horror he saw one of the black beings come around behind her. Before he could shout warning, the thing put his fist to her neck and she went down onto the ramp. Syelis acted quickly and started raising the ramp before the invaders could step on it.

Then he reached for Mon Mothma and pulled her the rest of the way in, just as she started trying to move back to the ramp, there was the same look of horror on her face as he'd seen on the faces of the other victims, he quickly locked the door to the ramp and went to the first aid kit and grab a sedative. He stuck it in to her and she went limp. He dragged her to the nearest cabin and flopped her onto the bed, in what appeared to be an uncomfortable position.

"Forgive me my love, but I need to get us out of here before I can see to your comfort, it won't be long." He kissed her forehead and then headed up to the cockpit.

"Where are we going?" the little girl asked.

"Alderaan," he replied.

"I've heard Alderaan is pretty," she said.

"It is. Do you know how to strap in?"

"I think so..." she said, and she figured it out. "Is the lady going to be alright?"

"I hope so, child, I hope so," he said as the ship left the atmosphere.


End file.
